


With All Of My Dark Heart

by MistakenAngel



Category: Dracula - Bram Stoker, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Age Difference, Age Regression/De-Aging, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Dark, Dark Harry Potter, F/M, Forbidden, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-12 09:53:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 22
Words: 29,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29757831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistakenAngel/pseuds/MistakenAngel
Summary: Hermione Granger has long guarded a dark secret: she was born a vampire, not a mortal witch. In fact, she is a daughter of Queen Lilith, the mother of all vampires.But she was dispossessed of her title after the last rebellion to help her older brother Angel take the vampire throne for himself failed. Cast out of Sumatra three hundred years ago, she glamored herself to be a muggleborn witch in order to hide her true identity as Imperial Princess Ashara Dracula.She has lived as a mortal ever since, hiding her need for human blood, and attending Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry, as one of many wizarding schools over the years. That was, until she found her true mate in Severus Snape, and she vowed by all that was holy to make him hers forever..❤❤❤❤❤As always, your votes and comments are much appreciated. Thanks so much ahead of time!This is my Halloween present to you all!!
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Severus Snape, Severus Snape/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

Ashara's Pov...

Three Hundred Years Ago...

The white marble throne room was crowded with the whole Imperial court as the shackles bit into my wrists, causing blood to flow to the white marble, staining the immaculate marble with my blood.

My brother Angel was similarly shackled, dressed as all men of the Imperial court are required to dress: tight black breeches over black leather boots, a dress shirt underneath a fitted black cotehardie that priests of the Catholic church term a Cossack robe. He walked with the dignity of a King, despite his position of a prisoner, and in truth, a traitor to the Imperial throne. His long black hair framed a handsome, cleanshaven face with aquamarine eyes that could pierce one's soul if he chose.

We were led by the Queen's guards into the throne room where our mother Lilith sat on her high throne. Her piercing blue eyes looked with obsessed longing over Angel, her favorite ever since his birth to our father the famous Impaler of the Carpathians. She wore a pure white gown of the latest fashion, while I wore practical pants, boots, and blouse, held together by a leather bodice. He is my older brother by five years, and we have always been close, even as children.

"Guards, bring the prisoners closer so that all may see them," Lilith ordered. The guards shoved us forward, and I stumbled. Angel helped me up gently, and whispered in my ear, "Be ready to attack when you see me wink."

"That would be suicide, brother," I whispered back. "Our cause is lost."

He shook his head, grinning subtly, "Is it? I picked our locks before they came for us. Just be ready, Asha."

"Move, traitorous scum!" A guard grunted. Our mother, Imperial Queen Lilith descended the twenty stairs of her dais to face us personally. Our legs were kicked out from under us, so that we were required to kneel at her feet.

My mother, with her wavy black hair stopped by me first, and forced me to look into her eyes. "You were one of my favorites, child," She said with feigned sadness. "Why, oh why did you rebel against me?"

"Because Angel's claim is true," I spat. "You need to step down as Queen."

Lilith laughed coldly, "Ah. You believe so? Such a naive girl. There are those on the Elder Council that wish you dead for consorting with Lord Arcturus Black, a wizard yes, but a mortal nonetheless."

I scoffed, "Who I fuck is none of your concern, _mother_. Nor is who I eventually might or might not turn and claim."

She slapped me hard across the face with such force my head snapped back with a degree that would have killed a mortal. "No, I won't kill you," Lilith decided, and stepped in front of Angel. "Nor you, my son. But I will kill your lovers."

Angel looked up our mother, his face impassive, but a muscle ticked in his jaw, indicating his self contained rage was bubbling up just underneath the surface. "You wouldn't _dare_ kill Olivia, mother! She is innocent in all of this, I swear." He protested.

A beautiful ash blonde high elven lady was brought in wearing a ripped, and bloody plum purple gown. Arcturus Black was led in, and his once fine dark green suit was worse for wear, and he sported a beard, indicating that he had been held in the palace dungeons for a very long time. My heart broke to see such a proud, strong Lord brought low by the guards.

Angel glanced at me, and gave the signal by a wink. I moved my wrists, and the shackles fell off. Angel unsheathed his hand and half sword, and he tossed me a dagger.

"KILL THEM BOTH!!" My mother screamed in outrage. "KILL THEM BOTH, I COMMAND IT!!" I caught Angel's dagger as it flew towards me.

We nodded to each other, and we engaged the enemies before us, as ladies and lords attacked us left and right. I evaded a clawed hand to my face from a woman, and snapped her neck as I drank mercilessly from her, the blood staining my lips and chin. I lost track of how many of my fellow immortal brothers and sisters I sent to hell, and drank their blood to sate my desire for blood.

My poor Arcturus was ripped in half by a guard as he tried to cast curse after fatal curse at his attackers with wandless magic. Then I saw my mother's eldest son Azriel stride in and casually behead Angel's royal wife.

He saw Angel and licked his sword blade, "Mmm, her blood tastes good, brother," Azriel teased. "Tell me, did her cunt taste as sweet?"

Angel circled our half-brother. "That will be the last mistake you will ever make," He said, and moved in. The two brothers moved in their deadly dance of death, exchanging lightning quick parries and strikes. I dispatched my last attacker, and I saw my mother flee like the coward she was.

I saw an opening, and weighed the option to use magic or not. I was already weakened from my imprisonment of six years a prisoner. No, I had to help my brother, he was the only family that meant a damn to me. I concentrated on my powers, and let loose the fire shaft. It struck Azriel through his back, and he collapsed to his knees as his body immediately began to catch fire.

"Finish it, Angel!" I shouted over Azriel's bloodcurdling screams. Angel beheaded Azriel with one stroke of his sword. Azriel continued to scream as his body turned to ashes. When he was finally silenced, we spread his ashes so that he would not be able to be resurrected again.

We fled the palace and flew to Romania. Once we were home, we realized that we would never regain our titles after our blatant acts of high treason.

"We will regain what is ours," Angel asserted boldly, "Our mother will die just as Azriel did this night. Until that time, we will live in exile, and one night, we will find each other, I swear it."

I didn't doubt my brother's determination, but after losing Arcturus, I no longer wanted to talk of settling old scores. We parted the next day, and we embraced each other crying.

"I know, Asha," He said, kissing my cheek. "I know you do. I feel the same."

I flew to England, and cast the glamor at the orphanage after writing a note from my fictional mother to have been an unwed mother who couldn't care for her 'freakish,' child.

I was "three," when I was adopted by the Grangers, and that was how I ceased to be Princess Ashara Dracula, and became Hermione Granger, a muggle born witch, who used the glamor to suppress my desire for human blood, and it was how I was later termed as the brightest witch of her age...


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione's Pov...

Three Hundred Years Later...

How many times have I stood waiting for magical transportation to another wizarding school? My first school was Beaubaxtons, where I spent seven years there as I gradually "grew up," and was known as Marie Sevier. A rather prissy and fairytale type of place, and presumptuous. My school House was Golden Unicorn. I hated it there, but at least the classes were pathetically easy. 

Then I attended Ilivermorny in Salem, Massachusetts, of course. My school House was Horned Serpent, and I had to adopt an American accent. I liked the earthiness of the classes, and the laid back quality of the New England style mansion that was Ilivermorny. My name at that time was Carolyn Wilkes, and I chose to be a red head for those years until I had to "die," after a certain amount of years. Marie had been a blonde and fairly popular.

I chose for Carolyn to be bookish and overtly nerdy, and this time as Hermione Granger would be no different. My previous school before Hogwarts had been Durmstrang Institute. I chose to show off my natural black hair and go by the name of Anastasia Romonov. Durmstrang allowed witches to attend, but I found their malecentric classes, and attitudes towards women decidely sexist. Plus, they seemed to live as if the Cold War had never happened. No thank you!

I prayed that Hogwarts would be better. Much, much better than my other wizarding schools over the centuries. How many times have I waited for magical transportation? The answer was too many times to count. Occasionally, I would meet up with my brother Angel, but as he led clan Dracula, I couldn't expect him to just drop everything to see me off.   
1996...Had it really been three hundred years since I had seen either the Imperial Palace, or my father's castle in Romania? The answer was sadly yes. 

The red steam train pulled up on platform 9 3/4. I gave my trunk over to the porters and boarded the train looking like the brunette bushy haired "twelve," year old I was supposed to. I had adopted myself out like always, and my "parents," had named me Hermione Granger, whatever the hell Hermione even meant. I had hunted before the start of term, and had a last minute shag before deaging myself again with the glamor spell that never failed.   
Hermione was supposed to be virginal, and not know all of the dirty bedroom tricks that drive a man wild with lust. Hermione was supposed to be bookish, bossy, and a know it all. I didn't expect to make friends this time around, nor did I necessarily want them. Angel had said that I was to surveillance England, and notify him immediately if the werewolf clans in the area got it into their heads to break the recent armistice. 

I didn't want to fight any more, and to fight in the thick of battle any more. I was tired, tired of all of it. I wanted this new "mortal life," to be peaceful and easy going. But of course, none of us gets what we want all the time, don't we? 

Everywhere else appeared to be full, except for where two wizard boys, a black haired boy with round glasses, and a ginger haired boy bingeing on sweets were laughing and talking. I had promised someone that I would keep an eye out on a toad that had gone missing when I popped into their cabin. 

"Has anyone seen a toad?" I asked in a prissy voice. "Some boy Neville has lost his." 

"Uhh, no," The red head boy said. Ugh, he looked like a damned cow chewing its cud. Gross. At least with cows, they had cuteness on their side, this boy had neither.

"Oh, are you doing magic?" I asked, feigning curiosity. "I have only managed to do simple spells, but they've all worked for me." I sat across from the black haired boy. "For example," I pointed my new vine wrapped wand at the boy, and cast, "Oculus Reparo." 

In truth, I don't need my wand to do magic, I was trained as a mage in my earliest life, as all vampire Imperial royals are required to be. But I decided long ago to remain hidden in plain sight from my clan's enemies.

I saw the lightning scar on the black haired boy's forehead. "Holy cricket! You're Harry Potter," I said with wonder. "I'm Hermione Granger."

"Ron Weasley," The ginger haired boy said with his mouth full. Eww...

"For God's sake boy, close your fucking mouth," I muttered in Russian. "Pleasure," I said more clearly, switching to English. "Did you know you have dirt on your nose? Just there." I pointed to the dirty spot on the nose. "You should change into your robes, I expect we will be arriving soon." 

I went to the bathroom and put on the monochromatic uniform, which was interesting. Beaubaxtons made girls wear a sort of light blue suit and blue bowler hat. Ilivermorny was jeans and a dress shirt and a black vest in the colder months, and a black pencil skirt, and dress shirt of any color paired with that in the warmer months. Durmstrang was a tight maroon pencil skirt for girls and a red suit blazer. The skirt was short for the upper class girls, and long for the first and second years. 

Gray vest over a white dress shirt, a long gray pleated skirt with knee high stockings, and a black cloak over that. Hmm...it made me wonder if the skirts got shorter for the upper class witches. I wouldn't care, but the black Mary Janes. Ugh! Heels or ballet flats would have been prettier and more flattering. 

I put on the uniform after staring at this alien twelve year old body. I missed my curves and breasts, and wearing makeup. I missed my adult autonomy. But it was nice to go back to being a child at the same time too. I went back to the cabin and sat beside Harry Potter. 

The Hogwarts Express stopped in Hogsmeade, and a huge burly half giant Harry introduced as Hagrid was there on the landing platform holding a lantern. He herded all of the first years into the boats. I got into a boat with Harry, Ron, and Neville Longbottom, the boy who lost his toad on the train. 

As the castle of Hogwarts loomed closer and closer, I smiled at the sight of the school. The place was not properly fortified against muggle attacks, but it was certainly beautiful. We got out of the boats, and went up four flights of stairs to where two golden doors awaited us.

An elderly witch in dark green robes and a pointy hat waited for us. I liked the woman's kind sternness immediately, though I'm sure other kids found her intimidating. She reminded me of etiquette teachers I had as a very young girl five hundred years ago. I hated them at the time, but grew to respect them quite a bit as I grew older.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," The old witch said. "I am Professor Minerva McGonagoll. Now, through these doors you will soon be joining your classmates. But before you do, let me go over the basics of the school. Hogwarts is divided into four school Houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Now, your House will be like your family. Any good behavior, or rewards that you earn for your House will award you House points. Any rule breaking will lose you points. The House with the most points by the end of the year will win the House cup."

"Trevor!" Neville shouted, and ran to pick up his huge toad. McGonagoll looked at him like he was strange.

"So it's true, isn't it?" A boy with platinum blonde asked loudly. "Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts."

"Leave him alone, Malfoy," Ron snarled. I stifled the urge to roll my eyes at this bullshit.   
The boy Malfoy glared at Ron Weasley. "I need not ask your name? Red hair, and a hand me down robe? You must be a Weasley." 

He then turned to Harry and said, "I'm Draco Malfoy. You will soon find out there are some families that are better than others. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."

He held out his hand, but Harry just looked at it. "I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, thanks." 

I shrugged my shoulders. Professor McGonagoll broke the three boys up, and said, "They are ready for you now."

The doors opened, and we all filed inside. I walked with the group and spouted historical facts about the castle itself, and how the ceiling was just an illusion. But as I approached the long teacher's table, I soon laid eyes on the wizard that would claim my heart in a way I have never felt before, and it would change my life forever... 


	3. Chapter 3

Hermione's Pov...

I was the first one called up to the sorting hat, and that was when I felt the strongest tidal pull I have ever felt for a man in my life. He was a young teacher dressed in a black frock coat buttoned up to his throat. He had shoulder length black hair that framed his face, and black eyes that stared into everyone. He was...beautiful. It was a shame that I still had the glamor on me, because I knew with a certainty that I wanted this wizard. Badly. Hmm...maybe later on...

The sorting hat tried to place me in Ravenclaw, but answering riddles for a password didn't appeal to me. "GRYFFINDOR!" The sorting hat finally declared.

The room then fell silent as Harry Potter put the sorting hat on his head. He got placed in Gryffindor. The feast began after everyone was sorted and Dumbledore gave his speech warning us about the Forbidden Forest and about following the school rules.

Harry then asked about the sexy all black clad Professor. Percy Weasley said, "...Professor Severus Snape. He teaches potions, but everyone knows it's the dark arts he favors. He's been after Quirrel's job for years."

I saw Snape's eyes fall on me slightly, and I felt myself go wet. I could feel his mind try to read mine, but I said mentally, " _You want in here, baby? You are going to have to penetrate me harder than that."_ I used my real adult voice, and his eyes widened as he tore himself from my mind.

I grinned, and winked at him. Harry looked at me strangely, "Umm...are you _staring_ at Professor Snape?"

"Oh, I'm not staring, I was looking at the stained glass window," I lied smoothly. The feast soon ended, and I put out the illusion that I ate dinner. I hated the pumpkin juice, but I wanted a glass of wine, the redder the better.

I went to the girl's dormitory in Gryffindor tower later on, and I curled up in the fetal position trying to clamp my legs together as I tried to sleep, and not think of the sexy potions master with a Caesar's name. But I soon found that a losing battle as I needed to feed. Great, just freaking great.

I got dressed in a casual outfit, and tucked my wand somewhere in my robe. I cast a charm that concealed my presence, and made my way outside. When I made my way to the courtyard, I took flight, seeing as I couldn't apparate on the grounds.

What I didn't anticipate was that the object of my affections saw me take flight that first night. I traveled to London, and hunted. I took off my glamor, and screwed one of my victims before killing him. I burned the bodies, and put the glamor back on myself to appear twelve again. I landed smoothly, and I was halfway to Gryffindor tower when Snape cornered me.

"Miss. Granger is it?" He asked. I put on a front of being intimidated by him, but in reality, I was disturbed by how attracted I was to him.

"Yes, sir."  
"Where were you?"  
"I...I couldn't sleep," I partially lied, "I have trouble sleeping in a new place, sir."

I made to move, but he said sternly, "You know I can discover the truth about any person. And when I scanned your mind...it felt--"

"Yes, sir?"  
"Powerful."  
"I have no idea what you're talking about, sir," I said. "Perhaps you shouldn't spy into other people's minds. Sometimes you may learn more than you care to."

He cracked a wry smile. "Oh, I intend to puzzle out your secrets, Miss. Granger. You are free from detentions with me...for now. But if I catch you out after hours again, you will serve detention with me."   
I felt heat rush to my face, and I trembled as he let go of my arm. "I...I will try to keep that in mind, Sev--sir."

I fled from him before I could say anything more incriminating. I gave the password to the fat lady portrait, and went to my bed. I couldn't sleep for a long time, and when I did, I dreamed that Snape had pushed aside my panties, and entered me roughly as he pinned me against the stone wall, kissing me passionately. Oh, I was in trouble. Big, big trouble. I could not let him find out about my desire for him, nor even about my very identity itself.

Days passed and I tried in vain to keep Harry and Ron out of trouble. I also tried to maintain my cover of a twelve year old muggleborn school girl. But when Halloween came around, and the mountain troll came on the scene, I helped Snape out from behind the scenes with mage lore.

I then cornered Professor Quirrel, and bared my fangs. "You have five seconds to explain why you set a mountain troll loose in the castle," I pointed an energy spear at his heart.

"I--I--Don't know what you mean, Miss. G--Granger," He stammered.

I smiled sardonically, and used my real voice, "I think you lie, you bastard. You don't want me as your enemy, wizard. Get out of my sight."

He ran and Snape saw me disintegrate my energy spear. "Was that wandless magic?"

"Yes. Quirrel went that way," I pointed, and said, "I should go, sir."

"You know that wandless magic is dangerous, do you not?" Snape asked. He was limping, and my nostrils flared at the scent of his blood. "It requires extreme discipline to utilize it properly."

"Unless you're a mage," I blurted. Oh, shit. Why did I just let that slip??

He only nodded, and said, "Yes, but I read that only high elves, or vampires can utilize such raw powers with ease."

"You should get your shin checked out, sir," I said, and left him faster than he could question me further. When I got to the girl's dormitory, I took a shower and I felt like I couldn't breathe for a long time.

Damn it! It was like Arcturus Black all over again! Except Arcturus had been less enigmatic and subdued. Did the Professor have any clue what affect he had on women? No, not likely. He likely assumed that he was ugly and entirely repulsive. I never turned my last wizard, but this one...it would be such a shame for age to mar such dark beauty, and keen mind. 

From what I was able to scan of his mind discreetly while in his classes, I knew that he had been physically and psychologically abused by his father and Harry Potter's father's friends during their time at school. What was worse was that the witch he secretly liked, toyed with his emotions. My heart broke for him, and I found it no wonder that he closed himself off emotionally. He reminded me a lot of my father, but I had a sense that he was a much more passionate man than my father.

My father was a closed off dispassionate man, but with Angel, he loved fiercely as his eldest son. He loved me as well, but the bond was not the same, naturally. My mother I barely saw in court, and as soon as I was off of her breast, she handed me off to a series of tutors, mage priestesses, and governesses before that. My father wed three more times after being turned by my mother, the Queen, and had more children by them. But it was Mina in the late 1800's that was his true love, and when she eventually died, it broke him. He killed himself, leaving Angel to run the business of ruling the clan as the acting Prince.

I shook my head of these nostalgic thoughts. It did no good to dwell on these thoughts. So, why did this one wizard suddenly dredge up these old skeletons in the closet for me? I was disturbed by my heart's pull to him. A wizard who was already too I suspicious of me for his own good. I would have to endeavor to be less...open with everyone in the future, even if it meant hurting Harry Potter's feelings. I just couldn't wait for this year to be over, so I could try to check in with my brother, while still maintaining my surveillance position. But little did I know what secrets Professor Quirrel was hiding all along...


	4. Chapter 4

Hermione's Pov...

Harry, Ron, and me followed Professor Snape as he followed Professor Quirrel to the restricted section of the library. I cast a further enhanced charm to protect against detection under the invisibility cloak. Ron held the lantern, but as the tallest, I was able to hide the glow of my eyes as they adjusted to the pitch blackness of the room.

Snape pressed Quirrel hard against a wall, and said, "You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrel. I suggest you start to decide where your loyalties lie, or the tortures that the Dark Lord has planned for you will pale in comparison to what I could do to you."

"I--I'm t--telling you, Severus, Hogwarts has a vampire haunting the grounds!" Quirrel whined piteously. "She almost killed me Halloween night."

Snape looked at him with contempt, "And you really expect me to believe that? I think you were hallucinating." 

I bit my lip, and licked the blood that welled there. "A-and the wolves are returning. I--I swear it has s-something to do with the girl."

"Sure Quirrel, I believe you."  
"Y-you do?"  
"No. Now, get out of my sight," Snape said silkily. Snape left the room, and my two wizard companions breathed a sigh of relief. 

"That was close," Ron whispered. 

"Shut up," I hissed under my breath. "Filch is coming."

We began to run, but Ron's clumsiness made him drop the lantern. I mentally slapped him in the back of the head. "Ow! What gives?"

"Shut. The. Bloody. Hell. Up," I bit off each word under my breath. I pulled them into the nearest corridor that Quirrel had fled to like a purple spider of some sort. He then unwrapped the back of his turban, and another person's face was on the back.

"Go back to the Gryffindor common room," I whispered in a voice that would brook no trespass. "And don't you dare come after me."

"Are you crazy?! Snape is still out there!" Both boys said. I sighed. I hated using legilimency, but I gained entry to their minds easily. They went to the safety of the common room, and I went to the school's ancient armory. After finding a silver bladed sword worth a damn, I imbued it with enchantments to kill whatever demon was inhabiting Professor Quirrel. 

I whirled my new sword, and familiarized myself with having a weapon in my hands again. But Harry Potter decided to follow me, out of stupid boyish bravado, or heroism. Whatever it was, he saw more than he should have of my abilities. 

I saw Severus Snape follow me, and I held my sword out in a challenge before he fell into step beside me. "You are out of bed after hours, Miss. Granger. Why do you have a sword?"

I lowered my sword, and said, "I have reason to believe that Professor Quirrel harbors the Dark Lord within his body."

"That sounds farfetched."  
"Do legilimency on me if you don't believe me, sir," I challenged. He cast the spell, and by his wide eyes, I could tell that he believed me. He ended the spell.

"Can I ask how you learned to use a sword?" He asked, genuinely curious. 

"My brother Angel," I said. "Now, that will be all the nostalgia for now. I reveal nothing about my past to strange men I barely know anything about."

"I..I hardly think I am of an age to match you," Snape said. 

I shrugged, "Appearances can be deceiving. Now, are you going to debate with me all night, or do we apprehend this weirdo?"

Snape nodded, taking out his sleek black wand. He dismantled the enchantments surrounding the door beyond, and we stepped in. 

"Lumos," Snape said, casting a light charm. I pretended to stumble in the dark so I could hold his hand. He smelled so good, of peppermint, earth, some clean cologne he had on, and the blood pulsing in his veins made him intoxicating to me. 

I scowled as I felt Harry Potter's presence follow us. Snape whispered, "What is it?"

"Harry Potter is following us."  
"Fuck. Um, you didn't hear me swear," Snape said with amusement. 

"Consider the memory obliviated," I teased. I saw him grin in the dark. We came upon a stone cellar where the mirror of erised stood. Professor Quirrel stood before the mirror, and Voldemort laughed coldly.

"Ah, a lost Princess arrives," The demon on the back of Quirrel's head laughed. "I had thought that the werewolves in the area had deceived me."

"What is that to me?" I asked. "So long as they keep to the armistice my brother put in place, I don't care what they do. But you are violation of that same treaty with your presence."

I drew my sword, and as Quirrel cast a spell, I deflected it, protecting Snape. Harry ran in, and shouted, "Leave her alone, Voldemort!"

"Harry, stay out of this!" I warned as another hex was shot our way. Snape then began to duel Quirrel. 

"Harry, let the adults handle this," I ordered. "I can take care of myself. Now, go!"

But Harry was grabbed as he scrambled out of Snape's grasp...and began disintegrating before our eyes. Quirrel began screaming, and then Voldemort tried possessing each of us, but before he could touch Snape, I summoned a ball of fire and shot it towards the demon. But when he grabbed me, I bared my fangs, and tried to contain the spirit of Voldemort, but the sword was nearing its breaking point. 

The sword shattered, and I was blown back into Snape's arms. The spirit of Voldemort fled, and Harry was knocked unconscious. 

He had been seriously wounded in the course of the battle. I had to act fast or Snape would die. I bit my wrist and said, "Severus, drink."

His black eyes fluttered open. "But...you..."  
"Do you want to die?"  
"N-No," He said weakly. But he drank my blood. He fell asleep soon after, and I had to obliviate both wizard's memories if I wanted to maintain my cover. I saw my blood turn him years younger, and his wounds close. I smiled through my tears. I smoothed back his soft black hair, and kissed his lips for the first time. 

"Some day, I won't have to oblivate your memories to kiss you," I whispered softly in Snape's ear. "Some day, we will be together, I believe that, my Prince."

I then obliviated Harry Potter's memories. Professors Dumbledore, and McGonagoll arrived, and I have them a very censored version of what happened, and how close the Dark Lord got a hold of the sorcerer's stone. It was still grasped firmly in Harry Potter's right hand. 

I cradled Snape's head in my lap, and ran my fingers through his hair as I explained why we were all there that night. Dumbledore's blue eyes glinted with mischief as he discovered who I really was from reading my mind slightly. 

"Minerva, take Severus and Harry to the hospital wing. I need to have some further words with Miss. Granger," Dumbledore instructed. 

I stroked Snape's hair one last time, and gently laid his head on the stone floor. I followed the headmaster to his office, and it was there I swore him to secrecy before I told him anything of my true past... 


	5. Chapter 5

Hermione's Pov...

"I want your word that you won't repeat what I have to tell you, sir," I said firmly. "If my enemies knew that I was alive, they would endanger all of the students here to get to me."

Dumbledore cast the Unbreakable Vow, and he vowed to never reveal my past or true identity, unless it was a need to know basis. I then told him everything, except for my strange growing attachment to Severus Snape.

He listened without interrupting once, and he finally said, "You have been through a great deal, Your Highness," He grinned, "But does Severus know that you like him as you do? I dare say that he would benefit from having an older witch in his life for a change."

I laughed, suddenly feeling at some ease with the elderly wizard. "To me, he is a child, but yes, I do like him. More than I should," I admitted. "The last time I emotionally involved myself with a wizard, my mother's guards killed him in front of my eyes, as well as my sister in law. I never turned Arcturus Black, but he didn't want that when I offered the Dark Gift to him. He had said that my heart was all that he required."

Dumbledore nodded, understanding. "Severus has been...scarred by many things in his life. He came to me a broken man, begging me to protect Lily Evans Potter, and became my spy for Voldemort. I would imagine being royal that you had many spies."

"Yes, and it is likely my brother watches me like a hawk," I surmised. "It's a pity he rules my family's clan, he is lethal as an assassin."

"And you were trained as a mage, I assume?" Dumbledore asked. I summoned a ball of energy and then closed my hand, cutting off the flow of magic.

"Remarkable!" He clapped his hands like an excited boy. "I would be delighted to meet your older brother. A son of the famous Impaler. Most remarkable, really. But may I see your true appearance just once?"

  
A.N. : Ashara is a little more busty than the model, and her hair falls to her shoulder blades, but this is generally what she really looks like...

I released the glamor. It hurt like hell for my limbs to expand to their original shape, and for me to grow in height, then my other features to take shape, but when I was done. Dumbledore looked at me with amazement, and awe in his gaze.

"If I were younger...nevermind," Dumbledore chuckled. "You are quite beautiful, in truth, Ashara. I assume you can change back?"

I waved a hand and after a few minutes, I returned to my twelve year old form. "I must rest now, sir. The glamor keeps my thirst at bay to a certain extent, but I need to do it after expending that much magical energies."

Dumbledore nodded, and said, "Well, so long as you endanger no students here, I won't be the one to turn you into the aurors. Thank you for protecting Mr. Potter, and Severus. I will never forget that kindness."

"Not all vampires are evil."

  
"Yes, of course. Good day, Miss. Granger," Dumbledore said, winking. I winked back and sneaked into the Gryffindor common room before Harry, Ron, or anyone could question me about where I was all night. I didn't want to tell the Headmaster of Hogwarts the truth, but I hoped my brother would understand if he chose to show his face. Little did I know, that it would be next year, but at the time, I only wanted to rest from my ordeal. I slept, and smiled as I carried the memory of healing and kissing Severus Snape as I slept the death-like sleep of my kind at long last...


	6. Chapter 6

Snape's Pov...

I woke up in the hospital wing, and Albus Dumbledore was sitting by my side with that mischievous twinkle in his blue eyes I have always hated. It meant that he was up to no good, and I had no clue what it was, but whatever it was, it was something at my expense, I knew it that much.

"You look remarkably young," Albus chuckled, "About when you first started teaching."

I scowled. "Get to the point, old man. I don't have time for your stupid riddles."

"Oh, just one I promise," Albus said. "What do you call two twin souls who orbit one another, but cannot touch?"

"Two desperate, pathetic people," I growled, sitting up. "I'm the old bat of the dungeons, remember? No witch has looked at me for years. You know that."

Albus laughed, and produced a mirror. "You might want to reframe your stance on that, Severus. Now, if you are quite well enough, I suggest that you get to your quarters. Classes will begin shortly."

  
Dumbledore went to go talk to Harry Potter, and I stared at my face. What the hell?! I looked...well, my face looked like it hadn't aged in fifteen damn years! I thought back to the events of the night before, and found evidence that my memories were tampered with. Why would someone put a memory charm on me? It was extremely well placed, I could sense. 

I left the hospital wing and went to my quarters. I undressed and looked at my body in the full length mirror. Not a scar in sight, not even...no Dark Mark on my left forearm?! Nothing could erase the magical tattoo. Nothing!

I went to my personal library, and poured through all of my potions books, and even the ones on herbology. Then I read about vampire blood. Vampire blood! I nearly came out of my skin, as a hazy memory of blood dripping into my mouth from a wrist hanging above me came into my awareness.

"...If a vampire willfully heals a mortal, especially one of magical descent, it does not necessarily mean that the mortal is claimed by the vampire, but if more blood is given, or exchanged through the act of love, then the vampire will claim the mortal completely..." The text read. "...And the vampire will be equally bound to them, and only death can sever the bond..."

A vampire had healed me. But who? The only ones who were with me were Potter, and....I felt my heart beat a mile a minute. No, no, it was impossible! I had to get to the bottom of this whole mystery, and I would, I vowed.

I stared at myself again, and got into the shower, and made sure the water was damn near scalding, as if it could burn the conclusions forming in my mind away. I got ready for the day, and shaved. I cut my chin with the razor, and the cut healed itself immediately. Amazing!

Without the Dark Mark's evil coursing through my veins, I no longer felt connected to the death eaters around the world. I could still locate their presences, but it wasn't the same. The power this vampire, whoever she was, was powerful, and old. Young vampires are relatively weak, I know from research, but this one was old, and at ease with her powers and strength. 

I taught my classes, and finished my duties for the day. What vampire could be haunting Hogwarts? Who would be able to breach the magical security surrounding the castle to come inside the castle uninvited. Albus continued to stare at me during dinner, practically oozing mischief. I looked to Miss. Granger and felt a weird rush in my very being when I looked at her.

No, it couldn't be her. She was too young, and didn't fit the profile of an ancient killer. She was a damn child, and an insufferable know it all. But I had to know. I retired early, and went to my bed the last of the school year with the feeling that the truth would come out in the end. Sooner or later, the truth would always reveal itself one way or the other...


	7. Chapter 7

Angel's Pov...

Ashara has been found, in England of all places! I could not quite believe it, and yet my veil agents in the wizarding world had found evidence of her existence. I had told her to monitor werewolf activity before she went into exile after our mother decided to go after us for blood. But had since received no word, except for small snatches of letters that found its way to one of my many homes.

This so called Dark Lord of the wizarding world troubled me greatly. It was one thing to deal with the tangible threat of rival clans wanting to annihilate your clan to gain political influence on the Elder council, or the werewolf clans wishing to levy war against vampires; it was quite another to have wizards try to shift the balance of power in the world.

I heard a knock on my office door, and I said, "Enter."

A veil agent, or mage who has been trained to monitor a person's movements, and often acting as a double agent in order to gain intelligence, entered my office in the usual attire of all black robes and a mask obscuring the agent's features.

The male agent bowed, and said, "Your Grace, you may have to intervene in protecting the Princess. I have just returned from this magical Hogwarts school and monitored the criminal Fenrir Greyback stirring up dissent among the clans there."

I sat back in my office chair, and nodded, "Yes, yes. We have been after him for some time, but he is a slippery fucker. Do you have anything else of note to deliver, agent?"

"Dementors have been summoned as of late, and--"

"Say no more," I said, standing. "You are dismissed."

"Yes, Your Grace."  
He left as quietly as he came in. I went to the fireplace in my office and hit the mantle slightly with my fist. I normally would not have involved myself, but demonic activity had been assigned to me to cleanse in the world, particularly the destruction of dark wizards who practiced black mage lore. The Elders specifically entrusted that task to me, and I had to now protect my sister from these dark threats.

I got ready, hunted, and landed on the outskirts of the unfortified magical school. I knew that I was setting off wards, but I turned them off quickly, and set up stronger ones in place once I was beyond the perimeter.

The castle itself was certainly pretty, but beyond the wards placed around the grounds to hide it from non magical people, it was virtually undefended. Mortals, and their false sense of security..

I crept along the edges of the forest, and sneaked into the castle. Ashara was near, so close I could almost reach out and touch her. Hmm...I suspected that she was here under a glamor, and disguising her vampiric nature that way. I would have to do the same, although I found such deaging spells distasteful, and it hurt to shift between forms.

Students were eating dinner in what would have been the throne room in a normal castle. I masked my presence so I moved invisibly and silently. I entered the hall, and found my sister talking at one of the tables. Her glamor made her look like a brown bushy haired, nerdy girl, but in this state I could see her true self clearly.

" _Asha_ ," I whispered mentally. " _Meet me in the forest_. _We have much to talk about."_

She glared at me and said, " _Very well, but if I get caught after hours, I'm throwing you under the bus, Angel."_

 _"Fair enough."_ I went outside, and I sensed her following behind me.

She crossed her arms over her chest, and narrowed her eyes at me. "After three hundred years, you finally came to me," She said. "What is it that you want, Angel? Is another clan war imminent? Because if so, I want no damn part of it. I'm done with killing my own kind for the sake of politics."

I was not surprised by her answer, and if I were in her shoes I might have made the same request. But I needed her, more than she knew, because she had always been the more skilled magically between us, and what was worse was that she knew it.

"Asha, please," I said, putting my hands on her shoulders. "I need you. The clan needs you, and--"

She shoved my hands off of her, and said curtly, "Am I not doing enough?? You ordered me to surveillance the wizarding world, and I have sent back my reports. I want a life that is _mine_ , Angel! Not according to your will, or that of our mother's. Now, let me go!"

She walked back to the castle, but I couldn't let her escape so easily, I had to get her to see reason. I drew my sword, and held it out in a challenge. I saw energy flow from her fingers, and her eyes glowed.

"Asha, please listen..."  
"No! Nothing you can say will make me go with you!" She shouted. People were gathering to watch us, especially the teachers.

"Miss. Granger!" An elderly witch admonished. "What the devil is going on here?!"

"This is between me and my brother, Professor," Ashara said, without looking at anyone else. "This is nothing but a family squabble."

Her eyes seemed to soften when a man dressed in black robes came to her side. Of course, my sister always had a proclivity for wizards. They exchanged some words, but he drew his wand, and stood by her side.

I narrowed my eyes, and said to the wizard, "If you don't want to get hurt, mortal, I would suggest you leave."

"Professor, please," Ashara pleaded. "Go."

"You will explain everything later, Miss. Granger," The wizard said, sternly.

She sighed, and said, "If I do, believe me, you will not be safe from our enemies."

I lowered my sword, and said, "It's true. My sister is only trying to protect you...for whatever reason. Ashara, please, this Dark Lord of the wizards, has enlisted the help of dementors, werewolves, led by the criminal Greyback."

She summoned an icy energy ball. She threw it at my feet, and before I could summon fire to burn myself out, she froze it up to my waist, and quick as lightning brought my sword to within an inch of my throat.

"I don't believe you, Greyback died in the last war," She said coldly, "I saw him being carried off the field of battle myself, damn it!"

I tried to freeze myself, but when I did, she summoned ropes from her wand. "Sister, please, for God's sake, fucking listen to me for once! Do you honestly think that I would have come here personally if it wasn't important?"

She sighed, and freed me. "Fine, fine. You're right. But I'm not getting involved in another fruitless war."

"You may not have a choice," I said plainly. "War is coming to these mortals in the form of one of their own. I am offering to fight alongside you once again with all of the resources of our clan."

A tall, heavily bearded wizard with gray robes, and half moon spectacles walked up beside my sister. He bowed to her, clearly knowing who she really was. "I cannot speak for the wizengamot council, young man, but Hogwarts is willing to form an alliance with your clan."

Ashara grinned, and said, "Professor Dumbledore, this is my older brother Lord Angel Dracula, Prince of our clan. Angel, this is Albus Dumbledore, he is the headmaster of this school."

I took my sword from my sister, and held out my hand. The old wizard shook it, and smiled. Then he looked at my sister and said, "I think you and Severus can have that chat he's been wanting."

"Are you sure that's wise, sir?"  
Dumbledore winked. "Oh, he's going to find out sooner or later. Good luck, you two are just as stubborn."

Ashara chuckled, "Fine. And you should follow your own advice transparency concerning one of your witches. Have fun you two."

Ashara strolled off back towards the castle and shook her head, grinning knowingly. We went to the headmaster's office, and we talked long into the night, and by the time we were done, we agreed to have my men arrive within the week, to surveillance the grounds, and I would run things from Romania.

I shook the headmaster's hand and I had no choice but to leave my sister at the school with her glamor disguise still in place. I had wanted to say goodbye, but I knew she wouldn't want that, and figured that we would rehash our family issues later. But that was before the students started to become petrified by a mysterious evil that was set loose in the castle...


	8. Chapter 8

Hermione's Pov...

I thought at first that Snape was leading me to the potions classroom, but we were heading to his quarters. Once we were inside, he led me to where the fireplace was in a room that reminded me of the decor of my father's castle in Romania.

He took off his outer cloak, and put it up in his closet, and then began to pour us two glasses of some brandy.

"Hmm...lovely," I said, smelling the age and ingredients of the brandy with my keen nose. I also smelled the veritaserum in it as well. "Although, you need not drug me with truth serum potion. I will tell you everything you wish to know, provided that it does not leave this room."

"I understand," He said, and changed out my brandy for a non drugged version. "I have many secrets as well. But let's start with yours. When were you born?"

"Ah, the 60's child wishes to know," I lightly teased. "Well, I was born five hundred years ago to Prince Vlad Tepes, and Queen Lilith, one of her many, many children from her illicit affairs. My oh so charming brother Angel is five years older than me. I never saw my father's castle until I was ten, and my older brother came for me. I grew up in the Imperial Palace, which is somewhere in the deserts of Sumatra."

"You sound very English."  
"How about now?" I asked, reverting to my original accent, and adult voice. "I think I have attended just about every magical school except for Africa's in my attempt to lay low, and not be sniffed out by my mother's veil agents, or mage spies. If you were a mage, that would be your skill set, I believe. They are completely anonymous even to who hires them, so if any secrets should be spilled to the enemy--"

"Plausible deniability," Severus grinned. "They sound very expendable."

"Yes, but they know that when they decide to train," I explained. "They are warned several times, and if they still wish to train, then they do. But as for me, magical combat was always my skill set, because I wanted to be part if the assassin order. My mother frowned on this, but I persisted until I allowed the arch mages to train me, including Angel, who was already in the order."

I drained my glass of brandy and levitated my glass and made it travel to the liquor trolley.

"Can I ask why you saved me that night in the dungeons? You didn't have to do that," Severus pointed out.

I shrugged, "Maybe I like you more than I should or is wise. I will remain in my disguise after this night, but you can see my true self, if I can have that cloak of yours?"

He lifted an eyebrow, and took it off the hanger and handed it to me. I got up and went into the bathroom, and stripped down out of my uniform, and folded it neatly. I buttoned up the cloak, and released the magic holding my true adult body in stasis. I clamped my lips shut against the pain, and when I looked at my face in the mirror, my black wavy hair looked dreadful. I brushed it out, and came out of the bathroom and padded to my chair, and sat down, crossing my legs.

Severus's eyes went wide with astonishment, and he said softly, "Please stand."

We looked at each other in the eye, black on blue green, and blue on black, then he studied my features. "You're...I--I'm speechless."

I smiled, flashing my fangs briefly. "My name is Ashara," I introduced.

I stepped forward, and I caught the self doubt in his mind. I shook my head, "I think you're very handsome, Severus. Does it matter what names those bullies called you as a child? Or that Lily Evans toyed with you?"

He frowned, but I touched his cheek, and gently guided him to look at me. "No one has ever described me and good looking in the same sentence," He said. "But I strangely believe it hearing it fall from your lips."

I ran my fingers through his hair, and it was as if an invisible magnet pulled us together, because before either of us knew what was happening, our lips were pressed against each other, and I gasped as I felt his tongue seek entrance to my mouth. I granted it, and that was when our hands were exploring each other.

He cupped my breasts with his hands, and began kissing a trail of kisses along my neck. "Severus..." I breathed.

He pulled away from me, and said, "I...I shouldn't have kissed you. You...you're technically a student."

I laughed lightly, "We don't have to tonight, if you wish. But I am definitely going to have to seek it elsewhere with how I'm feeling."

I walked away from him and went to the bathroom, and he waited for a bit before he muttered, "Fuck it."

I felt the door tear open, and he spun me around and began kissing me passionately. He ripped the cloak off of my body and I wrapped my arms around his neck as his hands roamed up and down my back and waist.

"I want you," He whispered in my ear. "I should not, but I do."

"I want you too."  
He led me to the bed, and he undressed. I laid on the bed, and he crawled up the bed, parting my legs with his knee, and he began kissing me, starting with my mouth, then my neck, along my collarbone, and then he began to tease and suckle my D cup breasts.

"Perfect," Severus said, softly. He ran kisses along my abdomen, dipped his tongue into my navel, but when he began to eat me out, I quickly found out how magical his tongue and fingers could be as he skillfully brought me to an explosive climax.

He then kissed me roughly as he entered me, and I cried out at how good he felt inside me. Our eyes met as he began to thrust inside of me deeply. Severus moaned as I wrapped my legs around him as our lovemaking turned into equal parts slow reverence and fast paced fucking.

We truly explored one another, and as our eyes met I felt my heart melt and truly become his. We laid in each other's arms still connected, and we couldn't stop looking into each other's eyes.

"That was--"  
"True magic," Severus finished. He smoothed back my black hair, and traced my lips with his thumb. "But I should probably obliviate my memories of this."

"Hermione Granger isn't real," I said, "She didn't exist until thirteen years ago. This is me, the _real_ me."

He kissed my inner wrist and said softly, "I know. And if I remember this night, it disturbs me how even now I feel... _drawn_ to you, Ashara. I could easily love you. But we're so divided and..."

"Hey, hey," I said, smoothing back part of his hair. "Shhh...I know, I feel the same way. Think of it like playing a role in a play. I do it every day I wake in Gryffindor tower and go to my classes. I think of you, and dream of you, but at night, when we can, we come together like this."

He kissed me lightly. "But what if I want more? I'm a very possessive man, Princess. Once something becomes mine, I am loathe to give it up."

"Oh, I am possessive too," I said. "But I only suggest this, because neither of us is ready to be claimed to the other forever. I have never done it, but Angel claimed his wife, and when she was killed, it broke him for a long time. My father claimed one of his wives, and when she died of cholera at sixty two, he..." I teared up, "Well...he is no longer alive. It's a shame, he would have liked you. He hated my last wizard."

"Was he a pureblood?"  
"Yes. Arcturus Black."  
"He..." Severus was taken aback by the news, "I am related to the Blacks through my mother via a cousin once removed."

"Of course," I chuckled, "Prince. Well, that explains your black eyes. It was a shame your family had some bad apples that were very into vampire hunting."

"This Prince would never mar these perfect breasts by impaling you on a stake," Severus teased. "Very well, I won't modify my memories. But what happens now for us?"

I rolled away from him and rested my head on one of his pillows. I faced him, and said, "Well, we can work it out as we go along. I don't want to move too fast, which is probably a good reason for my disguise. In public we will have our roles, and at night--"

"You will be mine."  
"Yes. But I will need to hunt, and you will need to spy on missions for Dumbledore," I pointed out. I got out of bed, and padded to the bathroom.

Severus sat up and followed me to the shower. "Yes, I have to be a double agent. But whatever happens, I will always be there for you, Princess."

I stepped into the shower, and agreed, "Always. Now, come here, the night is not yet over."

He pinned me against the shower tiles, and we made love slowly as the hot water ran down over our bodies. We showered after that, and got ready for bed. We slept in peace, but it was not to last, because after that night was the first of the students to be petrified by some unknown evil in the castle...  
  



	9. Chapter 9

Snape's Pov...

I woke up the next day to an empty bed, and found a letter written in elegant cursive handwriting:

_Dearest Severus,_

_Forgive me for leaving before awakening, but secrecy is essential to this affair of ours, and I have classes as you are aware. But I wanted you to know that last night was indeed nothing short of magical. I will see you for midday potions._

_I am kissing you,_

_-A_

I saw a drawn heart with our initials, and smiled warmly. Then I saw something that made heat flood into my cheeks: she deliberately changed into her uniform and left her knickers in my quarters after putting her glamor back on. What in the world have I gotten myself into?

When she filed into my class, I realized that it was a double class, and while pepper up potion wasn't hard to make, it would be damned hard to keep my eyes off of her, even in disguise. She was chatting with her friends, and her acting abilities amazed me. I'm sure that she was actually friends with Harry Potter, but the Weasley boy was Peter Pettigrew all over again, only it was clear to me that she was the leader of the group, as Potter's father was the leader of his bullying friends.

"Miss. Granger," I said sternly, "Kindly contain such social activities outside my classroom. Ten points from Gryffindor."

Her hazel eyes fell on me, and she gave a subtle wink, "I'm sorry, sir," She said, feigning embarrassment.

I then led the class into a series of note taking, and said that I wanted five rolls of parchment about the properties of today's potion.

I made my rounds and checked on everyone's potion. I tucked a piece of Hermione's hair behind her ear, and said mentally, " _You tempt me beyond all reason_."

" _Easy there. It would be...wrong for you to touch me like this,"_ She chided me, laughing mentally. " _I'm so glad you noticed your present this morning."_

 _"If we weren't in class, I would show you just how much I noticed it,"_ I growled. Hermione only pretended to look at me with confusion on her face, giving nothing away of our mental flirtations. I stalked off to my desk, and grumbled. I had a major hard on and I could not stand up again...because of _her_.

When the potions were gathered up, and the bell mercifully rang, signalling the end of my torment, I saw a paper drop from Miss. Granger's books. I went to pick it up.

_You are going to have to hide your emotions better to do this. You were passable, but notice how I gave nothing away? --A_

I knew immediately then what she was doing: she was training me as a mage. I welcomed the challenge, unlike another wizard who would be put off by such on and off again behavior from his witch.

But at dinner, when Hermione and her friends didn't show up for dinner in the Great Hall, I began to worry. Then I saw Mrs. Norris, Filch's Maine Coon cat hanging suspended above the watery floor.

There was a cryptic message on the wall: _Enemies of the heir beware. You will be next mudbloods.._ It was written in blood, human blood it looked like. But the question was how did it get there? And who would write such ominous words? Potter was looking up at the bushy haired cat, and I caught Hermione's eye.

 _"The boys were attacked by Aragog's spiders in the Forbidden Forest. I went with them to keep them out of trouble. Thank God, fire works just as well on giant spiders as it does on vampires,"_ She reported mentally. But verbally she was stammering an answer as to her whereabouts.

Filch was screaming obscenities at the kids, and demanding punishment. Dumbledore was trying to calm the flaky squib down.

I had no choice but to say, "Well, perhaps Potter and his friends were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, the circumstances are suspicious. I, for one, didn't see Mr. Potter at dinner."

Lockhart then stepped forward, and said, "Oh, that's an easy answer, Severus. You see, Mr. Potter was answering my fan mail."

Hermione rolled her eyes subtly, and indicated that she wanted to see me afterwards.

"Innocent until proven guilty," Dumbledore said musingly, "Prefects shall escort all students back to their dormitories. But I strongly advise extreme caution, to all."

I saw Miss. Granger break off from the group of Gryffindors, and I grabbed her hand as she passed by. She looked around, and we sat at a window, and looked out over the grounds.

"I suspect the creature to be a basilisk," Hermione said. She took out a parchment where she took notes from the library. "The spiders seemed frightened of it and they said that fifty years ago these same cases of petrified students started turning up. But one girl, Myrtle Addams, a Hufflepuff if I read the old Daily Prophets correctly, turned up dead. Who could have set such a creature free? They turn everyone who meets their gaze into stone."

My eyes widened in shock, and said, "A parselmouth could do it, easily. But I'm certain that only Voldemort could do it. He went to school here fifty years ago."

Hermione sighed. "Yes, but do you know if there are others with this gift, Severus?"

"No, I don't. The Dark Lord is the only one I know of," I replied. "I should go meet up with Albus and the other teachers. Would it be strange if I kissed you now?"

She giggled. "Yes, but if I can sneak out, I will come to your quarters."

I chuckled, "You do know that Dumbledore gave you freedom of the castle, right?"

She kissed my cheek, and lifted an eyebrow, "Oh? How kind of him. Especially, since I made him cast an Unbreakable Vow to never reveal my secrets to my clan's enemies. I was angry about him prying into my secrets, but after my brother broke my cover, it was the only way to silence him."

I kissed her hand, and chuckled, "Yes, that would do it, alright. Can I take a rain check on whatever we had planned?"

She nodded, and blew a kiss my way as she walked off. I went to the teacher's meeting in the headmaster's office. They were all discussing safety measures for the students when I came in.

"Ah, Severus," Albus said, nodding my way. "And what intelligence did our mutual friend give?"

I realized that I held Miss. Granger's notes in one of my hands. "I was told that the creature in question is a basilisk,"

Albus looked over my notes, and nodded. "Myrtle Addams," He said ponderously, "Yes, yes. I remember the girl's death. It was most sad. She had only been in her second year, I believe. Do you remember teaching Miss. Addams, Minerva?"

The old witch nodded, and said, "She was a good student, if a bit too shy for her own good. Thank the gods, she was the only death that year."

"That's all well and good," Pomona Sprout put in, "But it doesn't explain how the creature was able to get around in the school. Surely, a giant snake would be noticed by now."

"My friend answered that as well," I said. "The plumbing."

"Gross," Flitwick squeaked. "Well, Albus. I'll have you know that I'm not plugging up the drains. I'm a dwarf, not a plumber."

Everyone chuckled at the charms teacher's joke. The meeting then moved on to safety measures and agreed on that every student gets escorted to their classes by a teacher, and other more strict rules. I didn't want to think about what that would do for Ashara, but we would have to talk it over soon. I went to bed that night, tossing and turning as I thought of that creature harming her, and how I was unable to save her in time. I prayed that it wouldn't come to that, but one never knew when it came to dreams...


	10. Chapter 10

Harry's Pov...

I found out from Ginny Weasley recently that Hermione was not seen in her bed in the girl's dormitory. In fact, come to think of it, ever since students have been getting petrified left and right, I have been seeing less and less of her. Then there was all of the weirdness going on with Professor Snape...more than usual, of course.

Ron said that Snape was just a weird bloke and to leave it at that. But there had to be more to the story...right? All of the teachers were on edge, especially with the new school rules put in place, but some of the older Gryffindor guys on the Quidditch team swore that Snape was acting like he had a crush on someone.

"...As if the old dungeon bat could get anyone," Oliver Wood joked. "I mean, that nose alone would put any witch off."

"Hey, maybe he's like gay," Another teammate suggested.

Malfoy glared at us, and got his Slytherin seeker uniform on. "I can say with all certainty that my godfather is _not_ gay. Now, shut the hell up about him, or you will have me to answer to." 

I watched Malfoy join his teammates, and ignored me as I went off to join Wood and the Gryffindor team. I concentrated on the game, and after trying to lose a rogue bludger that someone had set on me for some reason, I caught the golden snitch. But the bludger fractured my left forearm; but as Hagrid and the other teachers came up to see to this injury, Lockhart in his wisdom liquefied the bones in my arm.

I was taken to the hospital wing, and discovered from Dobby that he had not only set the bludger on me, but had nearly got me and Ron expelled when we had to fly his dad's flying car to Hogwarts, only to have the whomping willow nearly tear it to pieces when we landed in it. All in a weird misguided attempt to keep me safe this year, and ensure that I did not attend school this year. First the train station portal didn't open up to go to platform 9 3/4, then the spiders in the woods, and then the rogue bludger.

Days passed, and I noticed that Ginny had gone missing as well, but where? I had to know what the hell was going on. I used the invisibility cloak, and sneaked out of the Gryffindor common room.

I heard the clashing of swords in the courtyard, and four werewolves advancing on a tall, toned woman wearing a tight leather outfit. She was fighting alongside a tall man with long black hair, and...Professor Snape?? What the hell??

"Oh, hello Harry," Luna Lovegood said in her dreamy voice. "Can I join you under the cloak? I don't want to get in their way. I was sleepwalking, and the fighting woke me up."

I lifted the cloak up, but then a werewolf saw us, and ran after us. "Levicorpus!" Luna cast, sending the werewolf fifty feet away.

The black haired man in the fitted leather trench coat flipped in midair, and drew two huge guns and fired at his enemies, shooting them in the head. The bullets exploded their bodies from within, and I saw the woman turn the bodies into ashes with Snape's help. Weird.

The black haired man blocked our way, and lifted up the invisibility cloak. "It's alright, Asha," The man said with an Eastern European accent. "It's just two students."

He sheathed his sword, and Luna stared up at him, transfixed. The man said something then in a fluid language I couldn't understand.

Luna blushed, and said something shyly to him. He bowed and kissed her hand. "...I...I hope to see you again," Luna stammered.

The man winked, and said something to the hooded woman. "Oh, for a certainty you shall, my lady," The man said to Luna.

The woman lifted down her hood, and she was beautiful with a model's face, jet black hair tied into a braid, and she didn't even have makeup on.

"Oh, please, Angel," The woman said. "Even for you, that would be cradle robbing."

The man called Angel laughed, flashing vampire fangs. "So says the lady with her wizard. Mr. Potter, I hope to see you soon. Miss. Lovegood."

Luna then did a remarkable thing: she curtsied to the man and blushed crimson. "My Lord."

The man smiled softly at Luna and left as fast as he arrived.

"Detention, Mr. Potter, Miss. Lovegood," Snape said, scowling. "And to ensure that it does not happen again, 100 points from both Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. Do I make myself clear?" 

"Yes, sir," We both said. "But what about her?"

I pointed to the gorgeous leather clad woman standing beside him. Snape glanced at her, and said, "Oh, she is not a student, Mr. Potter. And you will keep your mouth shut about what you have witnessed tonight. Is that clear?"

"Fine. But does Dumbledore know you're sneaking a witch into the school?" I sassed back.

"An interesting notion, Mr. Potter," The woman said, revealing fangs when she smiled. "To use your one question on whether or not I am allowed to be here."

"You're a vampire," I pointed out the obvious. "Who was the other guy with you?"

"My older brother Angel. Good evening, Harry Potter. Enjoy your detentions," She said, and Snape kissed her hand before watching her walk away. When we were alone, he grabbed me by the ear, and all but dragged me to Gryffindor tower, and gave the password to the fat lady portrait.

I learned a few things that night: Snape was dating a vampire, werewolves were trying to attack the castle, and Luna Lovegood was very smitten with the male vampire warrior. I changed out of my street clothes and into my pajamas. But it didn't answer the question as to where Ginny and Hermione had recently disappeared to. I had to find the answers, or die trying. I just had to...


	11. Chapter 11

Hermione's Pov...

_The Chamber of Secrets has been reopened. Her skeleton will lie there forever..._

I approached the blood message and tasted a drop of the blood on my tongue. Severus stood beside me after the students were herded out of the hallway. At first, the visions did not come, but then darkness came over my vision, and then I saw Ginny Weasley cut her wrists and write the message on the wall.

Then a tall, rather good looking wizard with short dark brown hair in a style popular in the forties, caught her as she fainted from loss of blood in his arms. He carried her bridal style to the dungeons, and was wearing an old Slytherin uniform with a silver Prefect badge pinned to his right lapel.

I stumbled as my vision came back, and Severus held me. "Are you alright? Your mind felt very closed off for a moment."

I shook my head of the darkness, and muttered, "Fuck, I hate reading things off of blood."

"What did you see?"  
"Ginny Weasley taking out a razor blade and cutting her wrists to write the message," I said. "A tall Slytherin boy was with her, only it wasn't a modern uniform. He had emerald green eyes, and was fairly good looking for a teen wizard with short dark brown hair. He had it slicked back as boys styled it in the forties. He carried Ginny to the dungeons, and that was all I saw."

Severus raked a hand through his hair, and shook his head, "It couldn't be him, it just couldn't be," He murmured.

"Severus," I said, touching his back. I rubbed his lower back in soothing circles. "What's the matter?"

He turned to face me, and asked, "May I read your mind just to be certain this isn't who I think it is?"

I nodded, and lowered the wards around my mind. He touched my shoulders, and looked deep into my eyes. I felt him go inside of my mind. I showed him my vision, and he mentally perused some of my past life before retracting himself from my mind. I placed my wards back up.

"Your life has been...complex," He confessed. "But I recognize who is pulling Miss. Weasley's strings, and it is bad."

"Who is it?"  
"The Dark Lord."  
My eyes widened, "Impossible. The kid looked barely out of his teens, Severus. How could he run such twisted witches and wizards at such a young age?"

Severus sighed, "He couldn't, of course. I have to go see the headmaster. Forgive me, for dinner."

"Severus?" I called to him.

He turned to face me, and I said, "Good luck."

A genuine smile flashed across his face, "Thank you."

He left me there, and I felt somehow more alone than before. It was times like these that I hated this disguise. I was becoming far too emotionally involved with Severus Snape. Angel warned me to not pursue a mortal again.

Well, he was one to talk! Three hundred years since Princess Olivia Dracane's death, and he was instantly besotted with a veela pureblood witch.

Harry Potter came out of the shadows, and crossed his arms over his chest. "You and Snape looked cozy just now. You're not...like dating, right? Because that would be soo creepy."

I rolled my eyes. "How much did you hear, Harry?"

"Um," Harry blushed, and stammered when he saw the look in my eyes. "I..I just saw him like...c-catch you and you said something about Ginny and Voldemort. First, kids are being petrified left and right, and then vampires are fighting werewolves on the grounds, and no one seems to like care. Snape gets himself a girlfriend who looks like Mortitia Addams on the Addams Family, but here I see you chumming with him like you're pals. What gives, Mione'?!" 

I sighed, and debated whether or not to trust him. No, I couldn't do that, he was being pursued by the Dark Lord, after all. "Harry, for you own sake, I cannot tell you," I finally said.

He narrowed his green eyes at me, "You can't or you won't. "

"Fine, I won't."  
"Fine! I'll drop it, but I thought we were friends, Hermione," Harry said angrily. "Friends like confide in each other. Have fun with the dungeon bat."

I left him then, and I learned later that McGonagoll had caught Harry and sent him to Dumbledore, saying that it waa out of her hands.

I was about to fly to London when Luna Lovegood caught me. "Where are you going Hermione? We're not supposed to leave the grounds at this hour, you know that."

"If I swear you to secrecy, I will bring you with me," I said, remembering how much Angel favored her.

Luna made the Unbreakable Vow, and I removed my glamor. "You're...you're the vampire lady from a week ago!"

"Yes, and I am also Hermione Granger," I said. "Do you still want to come with me? I am going to hunt, you might not want to watch me kill mortals." 

Luna chuckled, revealing her smaller fangs for the first time. "I am four fifths veela, Hermione," She said, dropping her dreamy voice. "I think I can handle you hunting prey for one evening."

"Come here, then," I nodded,"I would apparate to London, but the wards prevent that. We are going to have to fly there."

I hugged Luna close to me, and we took off. I hunted and shopped with my new young friend, and what was a rather dull evening became rather fun, as I had never had any girlfriends who I could just go have fun with. I discovered that vampires weren't the only ones who wore masks, and it took some slip of a veela girl to make me see that for what it was: an illuminating lesson well learned...


	12. Chapter 12

Luna's Pov...

We landed in Hyde Park, and it was strange to reconcile this tall, statuesque, beautiful woman with her Hermione Granger disguise. She had beautiful, wavy black hair parted perfectly down the middle, and her more curvy figure clearly couldn't fit the Hogwarts uniform, because Hermione was thirteen, not in her twenties, as this woman appeared to be. 

She looked down at herself and said, "Stay behind me, and don't disturb me when I kill. The thirst makes us...feral in the heat of the act."

"I understand," I said, nodding. "But can I ask what your name is? The cute warrior called you Asha."

Hermione grinned. "Asha is a nickname. Ashara is my full first name. Ashara Tepes."

"Ooo! You're Vlad the Impaler's daughter?! Is he...um, still alive?" I asked hopefully.

Ashara shook her head. "No. But my mother is, and trust me when I say that her greatest achievement would be to see me and my brother burn at the stake for trying to overthrow her. But...someone is coming."

I nodded, and pondered my new friend's words. A muggle couple was walking hand in hand, and I watched as she silently stalked them. With a speed that was lightning quick, she subdued both the young man and woman in seconds. She was feeding off of the man, and she dropped him, then she went to the woman. I suddenly felt my own need for blood rise up within me at the macabre sight.

Ashara sensed this, and said in a hoarse voice, "There are a few drops left if you need to feed. I know veela don't require it as much as my people, but you do need it for survival just as much."

I knelt down, and bit the woman's wrist. Blood! Fresh and not in a plasma bag...I had never tasted such a thing. I felt the woman's heart slow down, and I drew back just as she breathed her last.

"Good girl," Ashara said, wiping her mouth off. "You fed very well for your first time. Now comes the part I hate: disposing of the bodies."

"But are we just going to throw them away?" I asked.

She shook her head, "Just watch." At first, I was going to ask her what she meant, when she summoned fire from her hands and waved them over the corpses. We watched them burn to ashes, and her mood brightened up.

"Okay, are you up for some shopping? I have to wear something not made for a thirteen year old," Ashara said brightly. 

I smiled back. "Yes, let's. I love shopping."

Ashara laughed, "Good, because I have need for some lingerie as well."

I blushed. I didn't dare ask if she had a boyfriend, it would be too rude. We stopped at a mall, and she bought several outfits. But the outfit she wore outside the first store was a casual v-neck t-shirt tucked into black skinny jeans with black ballet flats on her feet. She wore a beautiful fitted black leather jacket over the top, and she looked very trendy and posh. She bought me a very cute red halter sundress that came to my knees with a handkerchief hem. She shrank the clothing down after paying for them, and put them in her small beaded bag.

We then shopped for lingerie, and she bought some very sexy items, and some modest stuff to wear as Hermione Granger, but she never told me who she was buying the lingerie for. There were rumors, of course, that Professor Snape was acting very strangely, and even Harry Potter tried to call him out on it, but got detentions instead. 

I don't think it could be Professor Lockhart, because of his narcissism. So, who could it be? I know if she told me that the vow would prevent me from announcing which wizard she was dating. But I had to know, the curiosity was just eating away at me.

"Are you dating anyone, Asha?" I asked over ice cream later on. 

She looked inscrutable as I pressed, "I mean, you couldn't have bought all of that bedroom stuff for yourself, right?"

She winked, "Ah. You are a sharp girl. Well, you are correct, Luna. I do have a man in my life. A very special one. But I shouldn't be with him, because it is dangerous for us both. My clan's enemies..." She trailed off shaking her head.

"You love him, don't you?"  
She teared up, and nodded, "Too much, child. Too much. I wish that I were more free, but I'm scared. The last time I lost my heart to a mortal, my mother's guards killed him in front of me. I...it would devastate me if it happened again," Her tears fell more freely now, "I hate to ask a young girl's advice, but should I leave him? For his own safety?"

My heart broke for this woman. Here was a powerful, beautiful vampire Princess, and she was scared of losing her lover...whoever he was. 

"I think you should love and protect him," I said, very carefully. "Love is worth any risk."

Ashara laughed, "You speak with such sentimentality, dear Luna. I sense you have a interest in someone as well."

"I will reveal my crush if--"  
"I tell you my lover's name."  
I blushed. "Well, yes. You first."

"Severus Snape."  
I smiled. "I'm not surprised. Okay, I like Harry Potter."

She took a bite of my banana split. "Interesting! I thought Neville Longbottom was your heart's desire." 

I giggled, eating some chocolate fudge. "Oh, Neville is cute in his own way. But no, I like Harry more. He fascinates me, actually, and I find him rather handsome. What of Snape, though? I find him...intimidating."

She laughed, "Most do. But no, we just mesh well on every level. He can be...difficult sometimes, but I find him rather charming and handsome."

I blushed at her words. "Then stay with him. I think he needs a good, strong witch to be with who loves him for him. Does he know you love him?"

"Not in so many words."  
"Then, tell him."  
"Only if you tell Harry."  
"Fair enough. We should be getting back, it's late," I said, and then finished up my ice cream. I threw it in the trash, and used the restroom. We went to a safe place to apparate to Hogsmeade. 

When we got to Hogsmeade, she confunded the gates of Hogwarts to let us in. She escorted me to Ravenclaw tower, and I gave the answer to the latest riddle. We hugged at the door, and she left without another word.

I went to the girl's dormitory and got ready for bed. I knew that I was sworn to secrecy about the Princess, but I was happy for my potions Professor. If a dour, closed off wizard like him could find love, certainly I could as well. I just had to find Harry and tell him, before someone like Ginny Weasley got her claws into him. I went to bed with plans formulating in my head, and that was why I slept so fitfully the rest of the night...


	13. Chapter 13

Snape's Pov...

A duelling club?! Dumbledore could not be serious. I was wholeheartedly against it from the word go, but when has anyone ever respected my damn wishes? No one but Ashara, but that was only when we could see each other, which was proving to be a rare occurrence. I chafed at the frustration of seeing her in my classes, or on the grounds, and not being able to touch her, even innocently.

Her role as a bossy, insufferable know it all grated on my nerves, but she really did know more than the average Hogwarts student. I kept my emotions under rein, even though I wanted to bend her over her work table and be in her tight heat in seconds, working my length in and out of her, and not giving a damn if we were watched by the students.

"You have no choice in the matter, Severus," Albus said to me, sternly. "Yes, Lockhart is a blowhard, but he is well liked by the Ministry, and he can gather intelligence from within."

I sneered at that, "So, you admit that Lockhart has no special abilities, do you not?"

Dumbledore shrugged, as if there was no point in arguing with me. "I recognize that the man has his uses, as does you. Attend to this duelling club and make sure that Harry Potter and...Miss. Granger don't come to any harm."

That was it! I was sick of his veiled mockery concerning my girlfriend. I turned around. "You will leave her out of this, old man! You overstep far too much for my liking."

His blue eyes twinkled, "My, my, Severus, you surprise me. I do believe that you care deeply for this woman."

I curled my hands into fists at my sides. "Whether I do or not is none of _your_ affair. Now, if you will excuse me, I have a class to teach."

I left the headmaster's office before he could say another word to me. Damn him! Damn him to the blackest pits of hell! I went to my quarters, and found packages from couture shops in London, as well as bags that contained...lingerie?? Most of the clothes were trendy, but in a darker fashion. Heels, ballet flats, sandals with flattering rhinestones on them. Sexy dresses, bras and panties of varying degrees of sexiness. Ashara. Of course, it was.

I found a note on my nightstand:

_Dearest Severus,_

_Forgive me for leaving my new wardrobe in your quarters, but it would look suspicious if the girls found my more adult tastes in fashion in the Gryffindor common room. Now, don't go peeking in the lingerie bags, I have something special that I want to wear for you, after that dinner we had planned._

_Yours,_

_\--A_

I couldn't be completely angry with her, but she should have asked me first, damn it! I took off my outer cloak, and hanged it up in my side of the closet. Admittedly, I did like these tangible reminders that I had a woman in my life, but it made me ache for her in a strange way, because in a lot of ways, our budding relationship was forbidden.

I went to the Great Hall, where all of the House tables were moved out of the way, and a long platform with moons and stars on the top of it decorated it. All of the students who signed up for the duelling club showed up, and it looked like half of the damn school.

Lockhart got up on the stage and pranced around the stage before throwing his silver cape to some witches. _Eww...could you be any more fake or lecherous?_

I barely listened to his speech, and I had to step in to prevent Ron Weasley from harming himself by pointing out, "Weasley's wand does damage with even the simplest spell. You will be sending Mr. Potter to the hospital wing in a match box. How about someone from my own House? Malfoy, perhaps?"

Draco gladly got up on the podium, and I watched the two rival students beat each other to a pulp magically. But it was when Potter began speaking in parseltongue to the cobra that Draco summoned with serpensorcia, that I looked at Potter differently.

I caught Hermione's eye and she said mentally, " _I do not believe he is aware that he is doing this, Severus. Most parseltongues are aware of the ability."_

 _"You're right,"_ I said. _"Still, this is a disturbing development."_

 _"Agreed."_  
She cut off her mind then. She left with Ron and Harry, and then returned when all of the students left. We were the only ones in the Great Hall, and she was not only in her true form, but dressed in the clothes she wore when the werewolves attacked the castle last month.

She had two swords in her hand and tossed one to me. I caught it, but just barely. We didn't know we had an audience as Ashara went into a defensive posture and bowed. I bowed back.

"Now, go ahead and try to hit me," She said. "Don't worry, I enchanted the blades so it won't cut me if you hit me."

I went into a defensive posture and attacked, but she blocked my blade easily, and kicked my legs out from under me. My breath was knocked out from my body as she moved to attack again with a little more ferocity.

I barely got away from her. Damn, she was fast. I finally got a hit in, and she flashed me a cold grin.

"Again," She said, as our blades clashed and came together again and again.

I put more effort into my attacks, and she parried and blocked me easily. But three hours into this spontaneous duel, I flicked my sword at a precise moment and was able to pin her down to the duelling platform.

"Very good, Severus," She said, smiling, "Although enemies do not generally kiss as a rule."

I chuckled, "Fuck the rules." I plunged my hands in her soft black hair. Our lips met, and our tongues dueled one another as I could feel myself growing hard for her. I broke the kiss for air, and breathed, "I cannot wait for tonight."

"Me too," She said. "Although, I know that you're a bit annoyed with me about the clothing thing."

I frowned, sitting up, "Yes, but it's not wholly to do with you. It's these attacks, and then Potter speaking parseltongue. I cannot help but ask what is next."

Ashara sat up, and wrapped her legs around me in my lap. She ran her fingers through my hair. "Well, I don't have to go hunt tonight. Are you free tonight?"

I cupped her ass, and kissed her deeply. "Does that answer your question?"

"It's a pity we're both not free now," She whispered in my ear, and ground her hips against my hardness. "I've missed your attentions."

I gave her one last kiss and said, "We have that in common. We have classes."

She stood up, and I followed suit. I caught her hand in mine, and kissed it. She sheathed the swords into her belt and flashed me a suggestive wink before she walked out of the Great Hall.

I taught my classes, and arranged to have a candlelit dinner for the two of us. When I let her in after the feast in the Great Hall ended, she was still in her Hermione Granger disguise.

"Come in," I said.   
"What is the occasion?" She asked, eying all of the candles and a table for two with interest.

I shrugged, "Do I need a reason?"

"No, I suppose not," She agreed. "Shall we eat while I am like this? Or did you want me to wear your surprise now?"

"I think dinner first is in order," I decided, recalling my body's reaction to her earlier. I didn't want to rush things, unlike the first night when they made love for their first and only time.

They ate, and he asked, "Are you really eating?"

"For you, yes. But I do not need it," She answered, "Most of the time, I cast an illusion that I eat the food cooked here. Does that answer your question?"

"Yes. You do realize that even the Ministry of Magic know next to nothing of vampires like you," I began. "So, I have to ask, since you were born this way, can you..."

"Have children?"  
I blushed, and nodded.

"Only with my claimed mate. The children would be like me, only less powerful, and slightly more like veelas," She sipped her wine delicately, lost in thought. "My mother, Queen Lilith, since she is the first of my people, and werewolves for that matter, can enslave a man with just her touch."

"Do you look like her?"  
"There are many at court who have said so. But she is more curvy, she has often called me too skinny," She chuckled. "You are avoiding the issue of my leaving my effects in your quarters."

I frowned. "Very well. I'm annoyed that you did not consult me beforehand. But--"

"You understand."  
"Yes. Just ask me next time."  
"Noted."  
"Good."

We ate in silence for a bit until we were done. House elves cleared it away, and she excused herself to go change. When she came out, she wore an emerald green satin robe, and a short, almost sheer black night gown on underneath. My eyes widened.

We went to the bedroom, and I looked into her aquamarine eyes that were becoming dark blue with desire. She stared into my eyes as I caressed her cheek and brushed my lips against hers.

She wrapped her arms around my neck, and I ran my hands to her waist, and untied her robe. I pushed it off her shoulders, and it fell off. We undressed each other with care, and when we were both naked, we laid on the bed and thoroughly explored one another before I slid myself inside of her.

"Severus..." She sighed softly.  
"Ashara..."  
"Go slow...please."  
She ran her hands down my back as I moved deep inside of her. We took our time finding our releases, and when we laid in bed together, I realized for the first time that I was in trouble. I was getting too close emotionally, and I came perilously close to saying the L word that night.

But then again, I had a feeling that she did as well. I moved to get up, but she grabbed my hand. "Don't go, please," She murmured sleepily.

"I won't be gone long, I promise," I said. I went into the bathroom and used it, and got ready for bed. I looked over the dark goddess in my bed, and marvelled at her beauty. I was falling in love, and it scared me. What if the Dark Lord found out? What if he tried to harm her to get to me? I would die before I let that happen. She would not become another Lily Evans Potter, I vowed to myself. I went to bed, and kissed her forehead before I succumbed to my exhaustion and slept in a goddesses arms...


	14. Chapter 14

Harry's Pov...

I watched Hermione leave Gryffindor tower after we discussed my incident with the snake. I did set a python on my cousin Dudley once at the zoo, but I assumed that there were loads of other people at Hogwarts who could control snakes. Ron was content to stay, but I had to find out what Hermione was up to.

I saw her duck into a corridor somewhere, and lost track of her. Then I heard the sound of swords clashing in the Great Hall. Professor Snape and that beautiful black haired woman from the werewolf battle were sparring.

Snape moved fast, but the woman was faster, and she used her sword as an extension of her arm. I began to get uncomfortable with how they subtly teased and flirted with each other.

Then Snape got the upper hand on her, and pinned her to the duelling stage, and started to kiss her, like full on snogging her. I left and nearly ran into Luna Lovegood.

"Oh! S--Sorry Luna," I stammered.

She looked up at me calmly, and said in her dreamy voice, "Oh, that's alright, Harry. I was just wondering if you had anyone for your lab partner in herbology next period. Why do you look so flushed? Are nargles making you sick?"

"Uhh, no," I said, "I just saw something I shouldn't have in the Great Hall. But yeah, lab partner that sounds great. Count me in."

She flashed me a sweet smile, and skipped down the hallway as if I just made her day. Then the one wizard I didn't want catching me unawares did.

"Potter," Snape said behind him. "What's your hurry?"

"Umm, I'm going to herbology? Why? You looked rather...tied up earlier," I couldn't help but chide him for being unprofessional.

Snape's face darkened, and his eyes became like black ice. "You just bought yourself a month of detentions. I hope you enjoy grueling cleaning, because I am going to teach you the consequences of spying on others."

Hermione came out of the girl's bathroom, and she said politely, "Good day, Professor Snape. Harry, don't you have to be in herbology?"

"Uh, yeah," I said.  
"Good, because you're coming with me," She said.

We left and just before we got to the greenhouse, I asked her, "Mione,' please talk to me, you're acting weird. No one wishes Professor Snape a 'good day.' "

"Well, maybe someone should! Honestly, Harry, where are your manners?" She chided me. "Now, I have to go partner up with Malfoy. Wish me luck."

I laughed, "Yeah, good luck. You'll need it."

I went to stand by Luna, and her smile was priceless. I don't know why, but I felt warmed by it deep down, and it made me feel good inside. Professor Sprout started the lesson of us transplanting mandrake roots. We also worked well together, and I looked across the table at Malfoy and Hermione. They were arguing, but she seemed to hold her own against him quite well.

The class ended, and we went to our separate classes, and I went to detention with Snape, the first of many after changing into clothes that I didn't care if they got dirty.

I knocked on the door, and Snape said in his usual curt voice, "Enter."

He was grading essays and exams with a quill. He looked up at me without pausing in his grading. "You will be reorganizing the potions by alphabetical order, and cleaning the shelves. You will do this without magic. Get to work."

"That's unfair! All I did was see you make out with your girlfriend," I blurted.

Snape looked up, and he smirked, "Keep it up, Potter or you will be mucking out the thestral stalls in the stables. I am certain that Hagrid would love help with that."

"Fine," I groaned. I got to work, and the shelves looked like they had not been cleaned in freaking centuries. Eww...A few rats, roaches, and spiders fled when I cleaned back there. When I thought I was done, Snape came to check my progress with a white glove on. Was this guy for real?? He traced a finger along a shelf, and it came up black with dust still.

"Dust it again, Potter," He said. He went back to his work, and I swore that I saw a hint of a smile on his face. I knew he was capable of humor, he certainly smiled at his Morticia Addams lookalike girlfriend.

When detention was over, Snape checked my progress again, and nodded when his gloved hand came up clean of dust this time.

"You are dismissed, Potter," Snape said, but then called me back.

"You should know that the Dark Lord is one of the only parselmouths in existence," Snape informed me. "If you have a chance of freeing Miss. Weasley, I would suggest that you open the door with this skill."

I nodded and ran back to the Gryffindor common room. I woke up Ron, and told him about what Snape told me. He was gung ho about saving Ginny once I went over the plan.

"Wait, mate!" Ron said, putting on his letter R sweater, "Shouldn't we tell Hermione about this?"

I sighed, and shook my head. "Nah, she's most likely in the library doing homework. Let's not bother her with this. But we should get Lockhart in on this, he's like the dark arts teacher." 

Ron groaned, "I almost would feel safer with Snape. Is it true he like actually snogged a witch? Like, really?!"

I laughed, "Yep. Tongue and everything. But she's a badass with a sword and wiped the floor with him, and it looked like she was trying to teach him. Only...it turned into a snog session."

Ron giggled, "Funny. I kinda thought he was either gay or wasn't into either, you know what I mean?" 

"Yeah, I know. Let's go."

On the way, we ran into Luna Lovegood, and she fell into step beside me. "May I join you, Harry? Ron? It's such a lovely night."

"Uh, not right now, Luna," I said, and quickly explained the situation.

She held my hand, and said, "I'm with you, Harry. Whatever happens, okay?" 

I blushed, "Luna, I can't ask--"  
She frowned, losing her dreamy voice for once and becoming determined, "I'm not asking, I'm _telling_. I am coming with you, end of story. Where are we going first?"

"Professor Lockhart's office."  
"Excellent. Let's go."

We found Lockhart in his office...packing?! "Are you going somewhere, Professor?!" I demanded.

Lockhart paused in his packing, and looked very guilty indeed. "Oh! Sorry, urgent business, couldn't be helped..." He trailed off, and he found himself on the business end of three wands from myself, Ron, and Luna, who stood in front of me protectively.

I noticed that her eyes had turned black with rage. "What about my sister?!" Ron shouted.

"Well! When I took the job it said nothing about saving helpless kids," Lockhart tried to explain. "So, sorry, but I'm afraid that I cannot help you."

"You _will_ help," Luna said in a commanding voice, "Or I will show you what happens when you fuck with a veela when her...best friend is in danger."

All three of us guys stared at Luna in shock. " _Move_ , you narcissistic sack of shit."

Lockhart moved with her wand pressed against his back. I led my company to the girl's bathroom, and found the snake secret passageway on one of the sinks.

"Open," I said in parseltongue. A boom was heard as the sinks dropped below the ground, and a huge hole big enough for a basilisk to move in or out formed.

"You first," I ordered.   
"Now boys...and veela--"  
"Better than you than us," Ron added. Lockhart nodded, and jumped down the hole. He let out a girlish scream, and crashed.

"Eww," He said, with disgust. "It's really very filthy down here."

"Ron, you look after Lockhart," I said. When Ron was gone, Luna looked up at me, and her eyes were their usual sky blue.

"I'm so sorry I reacted that way earlier, Harry," She said. "But...if we don't make it out of this, I have to tell you that I...I _like_ you." She then touched my cheek shyly, and pressed her lips to mine.

I felt a strange spark flow between us, and I found myself kissing her back. We stared at each other, and I said shakily, "We...we should join the others."

"Yes, yes we should," She said, blushing prettily. "I just...I just had to kiss you."

"I liked it."  
"You did?"  
"Yep. Thanks, Luna. I like you too." We shared a smile, and then she took my hand in hers. We jumped down together and into the unknown below us, for who knew if we would make it out of this alive?


	15. Chapter 15

Hermione's Pov...

Severus and I were woken up by a knock at his chamber door. Severus rolled over and groaned, "How much do you want to bet it's about Potter?"

I giggled, laying on my side, "When is it not?" I chuckled.

Severus laughed quietly, and kissed me quickly, "I'll be right back. I promise."

"I will be here."  
Severus smiled and put on a robe over his naked body. He padded to the door, and opened it at a crack. He exchanged some words with whoever was on the other side, and shut the door.

"What's wrong?" I asked, as he came back into the bedroom. 

He sighed. "Potter and his friend Weasley and Miss. Lovegood have gone down to the dungeons to open the Chamber of Secrets."

"Idiotic boy," I grumbled. "He should have waited for us. I like Miss. Weasley too, but you cannot rush into a situation like goddamned Galahad."

"Agreed. Come, we have to get ready," He said. "Pity we couldn't have had another go in the shower."

I laughed then, "If we get out of this, we definitely will. Maybe even use that prefect's tub that's huge and luxurious."

He grinned, nodding. I got out of bed, and we took a quick shower, and changed into clothes. I put on a suit I use for missions, and Severus wore a simpler version of his usual robes. I armed myself and handed him a dagger. I also armed myself with a pair of guns one of Angel's men supplied me with one day.

I put on my gloves and checked the UV rounds. I noticed Severus was staring at my guns and I handed him a bullet. It glowed like blue fire from within. 

"This is a strange bullet," He said, rolling it in his hand. "Why is it glowing?" He handed it back to me.

"It's an ultraviolet bullet," I explained. "It explodes vampires and werewolves, and any creature not fond of sunlight from within. My brother invented them to kill his targets more efficiently while on assassination missions."

"Interesting. Well, we have to go," He said. "Filch explained that the students had Lockhart at wandpoint and were leading him to the third floor girl's bathroom."

"Right. Let's go."   
We took off at a run to the bathroom, and sure enough, in the center of the bathroom where the sinks normally were, a huge hole had formed in its place. We shared a look, and nodded, understanding.

We took hands, and just before we jumped into the hole, he kissed my fingers lovingly. We jumped, and the fall was steep, but I guided our fall by using my power of flight to slow our descent. We landed light on our feet into a mass of human remains, and dust, and skin from a massive snake everywhere. My keen sense of smell picked up a sewer smell, and I knew that we were in the sewers of Hogwarts. 

There were sounds of a struggle beyond a massive pile up of rocks. "...Say goodbye to your memories, boys," Lockhart said.

"Can you move the rocks?" Severus asked quietly. I nodded, and then pointed to my temple. He nodded, understanding. I stood in front of the rocks and concentrated. Energy flowed through my fingers as I stretched them towards the rocks. I released the power outwards and began shifting them off to the side. 

The first thing we saw was a very dirty Ron Weasley stare up at us in shock, and a very confused, addle brained Professor Lockhart playing with rocks. I released the flow of energies and knelt at Ron's side.

"Are you alright, Ron?" I asked. He looked up at me in amazement. 

He slowly nodded his head, and looked at Severus with fear. "I...What are you doing here, Professor?"

"Never mind that, Mr. Weasley," Severus said, somewhat impatiently. "Where is Mr. Potter and Miss. Lovegood?"

"Down the hall to your left...I think," Ron said. "Um, who are you?" He asked me, still staring at me as if he has never seen a woman before. 

"Ashara. And that is all you need to know, Ron," I said. I cast a charm to keep Lockhart knocked out.

I tucked the vine wrapped wand away before Weasley recognized it as belonging to Hermione Granger. "You stay here and look after Lockhart. If he wakes up, just cast the freezing charm. The last thing we need is a half crazed wizard on our hands."

"Yeah, yeah, okay," Ron said. "But...just so you know, Harry was right, you are very pretty." He blushed as he said the words. 

I flashed him a grin, and Severus and I left him there. I followed Harry Potter's life force signature to a corridor that had a massive round door with snakes on it. It was open, and a huge basilisk was coming out of a hole in the water fountain in the wall.

The tall, dark haired Slytherin boy from my earlier vision was leaning over Ginny Weasley. The boy looked at us with utter shock, and paused in his parseltongue speech. 

"You...Severus??" Voldemort asked, shocked. And then he looked at me, and his face contorted with rage, "Your Highness."

"Ah, so you do know me."  
"Yes, yes," Tom Riddle sneered, "One of Lilith's favored daughters. Now, a disgrace."

"Call off your beast, shade," I warned, pulling out one of my guns. "Or I will." 

Tom Riddle laughed, "Try it. He will turn you to stone just as quickly." I aimed and fired my gun at the basilisk. It went into his head. The beast flailed and thrashed about in the water. 

Severus jumped into action and killed the basilisk with the killing curse. Harry and Luna came running from wherever the basilisk had chased them, and Harry was cradling his right arm and holding the sword of Gryffindor in the other. He was limping in Luna's arms, and her eyes were black with rage that her mate was hurt. 

Harry had a basilisk tooth in his hand and handed it weakly to Luna. "...You know what to do," He whispered.

She nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. "Severus, please see to Harry," I said. "Luna and I will handle this part."

"Are you sure, Asha?"  
"Positive."  
He nodded, and attended to Harry Potter. Tom Riddle sneered at us both, "A veela and a deposed vampire Princess. How cute. There is nothing you can do to bring about my resurrection."

"Oh? Not even this?" Luna asked, and snatched the black leather diary out of his hands, and brought the basilisk tooth down on to the book, stabbing it. 

"No...NO!! NOOO!!" Tom Riddle screamed in rage as black blood welled up through the pages of the diary. Luna opened the book, and stabbed it again. The apparition of Tom Riddle began to disintegrate, and become nothing. 

Ginny Weasley suddenly began breathing again, and her blue eyes flew open. She gagged as she tried to sit up.   
"Luna, can you see to her? I have to go check on Harry and Severus," I said. 

She smiled, and whispered, "Have you told him the L word yet?"

I chuckled. "Soon."  
"Good. Because Harry doesn't know that he is my mate," Luna said, winking. I hugged her, and kissed her forehead. 

I got up and went to Harry and Severus. Harry was drinking an anti-venom potion, and explaining what happened to Severus. 

His green eyes fell on me, and he looked at me with wonder, "You were in the Great Hall the other day. How could Voldemort know who you are? He called you a Princess."

I nodded, "Well, that is a long story, Harry. But yes, I am a Princess of the vampire Imperial court. My name is Ashara."

"You look like Morticia Addams," Harry murmured and fell asleep. 

"Who?" Severus asked.  
I laughed, "It was a muggle television show in the seventies. The wife on the show had hair like mine, and always wore these tight black dresses."

Severus laughed, and said, "I should watch it if she is as beautiful as you."

I smacked his arm playfully. "Don't you dare, unless you want to be my Gomez."

"What a horrid name for a character," Severus commented. "But I could be for a small kiss."

I kissed him, and the two witches giggled. 

"Aww, Professor," Ginny Weasley gushed. "I never thought you had a heart underneath all of that black. Please say I can be in the wedding! Pretty please! I will totally hold your bouquet."

Severus tried to look grim, and failed, laughing when I did. "Um, we will certainly think about it, Ginny," I said. "Let's just get out of here before we start planning any sort of wedding."

Severus picked up Harry in his arms, and I picked up Ginny in my arms. We left the chambers and deposited them in the hospital wing. Luna decided to stay with Harry, and I went back with Severus to retrieve Lockhart and Ron. 

Ron came willingly enough and demanded to see Ginny. Severus then pulled me aside by one of the empty hospital beds, and asked softly, "Are you alright?"

"Yes. Are you?"  
"Yes. I just...you were amazing back there. I didn't know my Princess was so deadly," Severus said.

"So are you, my Prince."  
"I am hardly that, Asha."  
I shook my head. "A Princess always needs her Prince. You are mine, and that is all I need, Severus. I have lived with wealth, wealth most people wouldn't be able to dream of, but it means nothing without love."

Severus began to tear up. "But...Why me, darling? I'm nobody. I...Whatever I had of worth died with my mother. Why would you want me?"

He looked down at his hands, and I brought his face to look at me. "Because..." I took a deep breath, "Because I love you, Severus. Is that not enough?"

He grabbed my face and kissed me softly, slowly. I clinged to him, and put all of my emotions behind my kiss. "I love you too, Ashara. Gods help me, I love you," Severus rasped against my mouth. "What happens now?"

I wiped his tears away with my thumbs. "We take it one step at a time," I answered, "I can't promise we won't butt heads, but in time, if we still feel this strongly for one another, we can do the claiming."

Severus kissed my hand. "I would be honored if that were to ever happen. But I have to go report to Dumbledore all of what happened tonight." 

He gave me one last searing kiss, and left. I went to Harry and Luna. Luna's eyes sparkled with delight, and she whispered in my ear, "I have never seen Professor Snape so happy."

"Are you going to tell Harry? About him being your mate? What about Angel?" I asked.

She chuckled, "Oh, he's charming, and handsome, and knows elvish fluently. But it wouldn't have lasted beyond a handful of months. No, Harry is my true mate." 

"I know. My brother," I began, and shook my head, "You know what? It doesn't matter. You have Harry and I have Severus. It's as it should be."

Luna smiled brightly, nodding her head. "Yes, yes it is. I'll tell him when the time is right. Until then, I have to be Looney Lovegood here. Even though, I really don't believe in the crap my father does," She added in a low whisper. 

I went to Severus's quarters, and changed out of my clothes. I put my weapons back where they were and put on one of my robes. I took my toiletries and three towels, and left a note for Severus saying where I was. 

I went to the prefect bathroom, and floated up, and looked at the ceiling. The warm water was soothing as the illusion of a night sky swirled above my head. The mermaid in the stained glass window across from the tub moved like all of the portraits.   
I heard the door open, and saw Severus walk in naked. I watched him get into the tub and swim over to me. 

"Fancy meeting you here," He said, pulling me into his arms.   
I straddled him on one of the shelves, and said, "I happened to be in the neighborhood."

He grinned wickedly, "You know I cast a very strong muffilato charm. We could do something in here if you wanted."

"Like this?" I asked, reaching down between us to stroke his cock, which was already partially hard. 

"Exactly like that," He said, grabbing my ass and pulling me closer. I slid him inside of me, and we both gasped. He rained kisses along my throat, breasts and back to my lips again as I rode him. 

"Severus..."  
"Yes, love," He whispered, "Come for me..I want to see your face as you ride me."

I picked up the pace and after a while I came undone. Severus kissed me deeply, and nibbled along my neck. "My turn," He whispered. 

He turned me around and I had to hold on to the ledge as he took me hard and fast from behind. He bit my neck and soon filled me with his release as he moaned. 

We bathed each other, and floated on the water, holding hands as we watched the artificial heavens swirl above us. 

"Ashara?"  
"Hmm?"  
"Does the claiming--"  
"Hurt?"  
"Yes."  
"Not if the lover in question is already immortal," I answered thoughtfully. "But for you, I would have to turn you, and sometimes the mortal does not survive. Why do you ask?"

Severus stood up, and swam to the shelf and laid back. I swam over to him and laid with my head on his chest. 

"I would pay any price to have you," He said.

"You already do, silly."  
"You know what I meant."

I turned to face him, and he was dead serious. "Are you sure that is what you want, my love?" I asked. 

"Yes. I don't want just a handful of years with you," He said sincerely, "I want forever."

"Oh, Severus!" I said, cried. We kissed passionately, and we went to bed. We both wordlessly agreed that it would happen, it was just a matter of when. I didn't know what the next year held, but I knew that I could face it better with my handsome wizard by my side...  



	16. Chapter 16

Hermione's Pov...

A new year, a new school year of possibilities. I had heard of the escape of Sirius Black, of course, and my insides froze as I looked at his picture in the Daily Prophet. He looked as filthy and unkempt as Arcturus Black did on the night of his death. But I did see the Black charm underneath the scraggly facial hair and tangled hair.

Severus had slammed the newspaper into the fireplace when he read the news in his quarters at the castle. I had my own quarters beside his now, of course, but I preferred to stay with him.

"Severus, calm down," I admonished gently. "It's not as if he was ever a deatheater as the papers claim. You know that from your school days."

He glared at me. "What? Are you taking his side now?! Are you in league with him?!"

"No, I'm _not_ ," I said coolly. "I only knew his great-great grandfather. Arcturus's family seemed to think it was beneath him to 'court a bloodsucker,' is how they phrased it. I am only playing devil's advocate here based on what you know about him."

Severus punched the mantle of his fireplace lightly, and breathed deeply. "I'm sorry, Ashara. It's just...I just know that Lupin is going to come here and search him out."

He poured himself a glass of firewhisky and plopped down in his favorite wing back chair.

I knelt at his feet, and said, "You are not the same man you were when those boys tormented you. You have me now, and if Lupin or Black try any of their old tactics on you. Well, they will have me to contend with."

He sipped his whiskey and smiled, "My fierce Princess. Of course, they will. You are as fierce as a veela when their mate is threatened."

I laughed, "An interesting notion when veelas are a close cousin of my people. High elves despise them for needing blood to survive."

"You told me your brother married an elf Princess," Severus reminded me.

I went to the liquor cabinet and poured myself a glass of firewhiskey. It burned my throat, but I sipped it any way. I sat in the wingback chair opposite him.

"He did," I said, wiping angrily at my tears. "And she was his mate in every way. They trained together, fought together, and were their perfect match. I didn't know Olivia that well, but she was a strongwilled, passionate woman. I could see why Angel quickly lost his heart to her. I suppose he saw a little of Olivia in Luna Lovegood. They looked very similar."

Severus lifted an eyebrow. "The girl is a child to him."

"Of course, she is," I agreed. "But if you noticed in the Chamber of Secrets, she found her mate in Harry Potter. I'm not certain if he has ever been told that he is bound to a veela. But she promised me that she would tell him when the time was right."

Severus smiled, "You like her, don't you? Most of the students and staff find her behavior a bit off putting."

"Wouldn't you hide your true nature if you were a veela?" I asked, draining my drink.

"Yes, I would. Especially, to the Dark Lord. Which reminds me," He said sadly, "I have to go on a spy mission tonight. I didn't want you to worry."

"Oh! Well, I have to maintain my disguise as Hermione Granger," I said. "She can't have mono forever now, can she?"

Severus laughed, and knelt at my feet. "Come here," He said. "I want to kiss that sweet mouth of yours before I leave."

I got on the floor with him, and the fire light from the fireplace danced across our faces. Severus looked like a dark god as he stared at me intensely before cupping my face with his hands, and tracing my lips with his thumb. Finally, he pressed his lips softly against mine. I caressed his face and moved my mouth under his. He deepened it, slipping his tongue into my mouth. I ran my fingers over his frock coat buttons, and wrapped my legs around him.

We broke the kiss to stare into each other's eyes. Black on blue green eyes. "I will come back, my love," He promised.

"I know. I love you, Severus."  
He rested his forehead against mine, and sighed, "I love you too, my fierce Princess."

"I will be in Gryffindor tower when you get back."

He chuckled, and then frowned, "A pity your disguised girl is not of age yet. We could have fun in detention together."

I laughed, backing away from him. "Oh my, my, my. Whatever will Hermione tell her friends why she needs to stay after class? Remedial potions?"

"Hmm, good one. I may use that," He said, kissing me quickly. "But sooner or later, I want to get in your skirts for detention."

"Oh, Professor," I said in Hermione's voice, "You know Gryffindor can't lose any more points."

Severus laughed. "Keep it up, Miss. Granger, or may make you stir a complex potion like Felix felicis so I can nibble on that neck of yours while you stir the cauldron."

I stood and socked him in the arm. "Sounds tempting. Is this going to be on my exam? How to resist your potions teacher's welcome advances?"

"Oh, yes. For you, it will be."  
"Good. Then I shall endeavor to not wear knickers the next time you check my work."

"How...naughty of you."  
"Oh yes, I will need a spanking, Professor," I teased.

Severus put on his outer cloak, and reached for his bronze death eater mask. I doused the flames in the fireplace and sighed. I hated to go back to living with a bunch of teen girls, and pretend to be one of them, but at least I had my private chambers if I needed to truly get away.

We shared one last tender kiss at the door, and I went to my private quarters, and changed back into Hermione Granger. I had to go to diagon alley at the start of term, but for now, I could relax, the start of term wasn't for another week.

Until then, I enjoyed the quiet time. Well, as quiet as it could be with ghosts, and portraits everywhere. Even with the students gone, save for a few of them, Hogwarts was never completely silent; no castle ever is, in truth.

Parvarti and Padma Patil were in the girl's dormitory and greeted me happily, "Oh, you're here early too, Mione?! This is soo cool!"

I laughed, "Yeah, I had a bad case of mono last year is why my attendance was so spotty. But I'm okay now. McClaggen gave it to me."

"Eww," Padma winced, "He's cute, but yeah, he's like such a player!"

"Tell me about it," Parvarti said, twirling her hair around her left pinky, "I heard his goal is to get with every witch in our year by year's end."

I laughed, "Even Lavender Brown?"

"Oh gods, even her," Padma giggled, "But I heard that she has her eye on Ron Weasley."

"She would be her type."  
Parvarti opened a licorice wand and we all handed the sweets around.

"You know, there's this rumor going around that Professor Snape has been sneaking in this gorgeous witch," Parvarti said, plopping down on my bed. A bed I barely sleep in if I'm being honest. I much prefer having Severus in it.

I feigned ignorance, even though my lips no doubt looked a little plump from him kissing me earlier while I was in my true form. 

"Oh? Professor Snape has a girlfriend?" I feigned interest. "I haven't seen anything weird about him. He's his same dour...admittedly charming self." _Especially, without those robes on. And his other qualities are not just his mind, girls. He's damned good with his tongue and fingers too..._

The Indian twin girls giggled, "Oh my gods, Hermione! _Everyone_ knows you fancy Snape. I've totally seen you check him out in class when you think he's not looking. And how you like space out when he talks."

I made a face of disbelief, "Ugh, he's like eighteen years older than me! Do I really...like, space out when he lectures?"

"Uh huh, totally," Parvarti said. "But that's cool. I kind of like...no, I more than like Blaize Zambini. I'm hoping that he'll ask me out this year. Are you gonna date anybody this year, Mione'?"

I almost wanted to laugh, since I was very involved with Severus, but I had to play the role of this geeky know it all. "Oh, no. You know me, I'm all for studying. Especially, since I have to catch up from last year. Besides, even if Snape weren't a teacher, and not with this mystery witch, I doubt he would want me." 

Padma hugged me, and said, "Then he would be totally crazy to not date you. I mean, you're a total hot babe."

I knew Padma was gay, had known even before she told me last year, because she confessed to me how hot she found Ginny Weasley.

"Thanks, Padma," I said, hugging her. "But I'm good, really."

She kissed my cheek, "Hey, there's always me, you know? I mean, if you're into that..." She trailed off, blushing nervously.

"Aww, thank you. I'll let you know if I ever get the urge," I said gently. Padma's eyes brightened up, and she left to go take a shower.

Parvarti shook her head, "You know, she's just going to try to date you, Hermione. You have to tell her that you're strictly into wizards."

"That would break her heart."

  
"I know, but she's desperate," Parvarti said, carefully. "I love my sister to death, but our family...well, let's just say that it's hard to come out to very traditional Indian parents that you're a lesbian. Our parents both want us to marry wizards and have the big elephant wedding with the beautiful sari's and all of that."

"If she tries again, I will tell her," I said. Parvarti nodded, and we went back to chatting about the gossip in Witch Weekly, and the Daily Prophet. I hated talking about Sirius Black already. But it was about to become the topic on everyone's lips for the duration of the damned school year I was to find to my great dismay...


	17. Chapter 17

Hermione's Pov...

I felt my shoulder being shook before my eyes opened, and I saw a very worried Headmaster by my bed.

"Headmaster?" I asked wearily, coming out of my deep, almost death-like sleep slowly. "What is going on?"

"Severus is asking for you," Dumbledore whispered carefully, "He just kept calling and calling for you."

I put on a robe over my cotton pajamas, and hated that I couldn't sleep in my real bed where I belonged.

"Where is he?"  
"Hospital wing."  
"Alright."

We almost ran to the hospital wing of the castle, and I found Severus bloodied and beaten up badly. Fuck. Professor McGonagoll was wringing her hands, and she looked up when she saw me.

"Oh! Miss. Granger," She said worriedly, "Albus explained about the..." She cleared her throat, and blushed, "About your glamor."

I had no choice but to do mage lore in front of them, and I ran a healer spell over Severus checking for injuries. I couldn't help but cry as I felt his residual pain as if it was my own. I was too tied to this wizard to not turn him if I was feeling his every ache and pain. I pulled my energies back, and almost fell over from the force of our connection.

"How many times did Voldemort use the Cruciatus Curse?" I asked bitterly. I felt my nails extend briefly into claws, and breathed hard.

"Eight times."  
"That's what I thought," I tried to keep my voice even, but I knew I was scaring the elderly witch and wizard. "Forgive me, but it is...difficult to keep the rage at bay for me right now."

"What is she talking about Albus?" Minerva asked. She was confused as to why the headmaster was grinning. "Will one of you explain what is happening?"

I held Severus's hand, and kissed it. "Are you sure you want to know all of it?" I asked her, wiping at my tears.   
"Well, I have to admit that some weird things have been happening on the grounds beside the Chamber of Secrets," McGonagoll said, crossing her arms across her chest. "There have been werewolves trying to attack the students, and vampires seen in the Forbidden Forest. They wear these black cloaks and are hard to spot."

I sighed deeply, "They are protecting the borders of the school on my brother's orders."

Her eyes widened. "Your...your _brother_?"

"Yes, my older brother Angel Tepes," I explained. "Our story is long and complex, but Hermione Granger did not exist until she was adopted by the Grangers at an orphanage. I have been sent here to keep the werewolf clan activity at a minimum on his behalf. Naturally, I have had to do this in multiple countries over a three hundred years period. I have attended just about every wizarding school, except for the one in Africa, of course."

"But...but you look thirteen!" She said, shocked. "How...how can you possibly be a vampire?"

"I assure you, Minerva," Dumbledore put in, "She looks nothing like this in her true form."

"I still fail to see what this has to do with Severus, and why you even care to heal him?" Minerva asked.

I shook my head. "You're right, it would be safer for him if I left him. But I...I love him too much to leave him. Not even with Arcturus Black did I feel his pain. I loved him, yes, but it was never this intense."

The older witch blushed, and said, "I still want to see this true self of yours."

"Okay, but let me get a spare set of clothes first," I said. "Stay with Severus, will you, Professor?"

Dumbledore smiled, and said, "Go with her, Minerva. Severus will want to see her true face I'm sure."

I led her to my private quarters and went into my bathroom to change into a long nightgown, and put a long robe over that. It hanged on me like a sheet, because I was so skinny and so much shorter than my regular height.

Professor McGonagoll said, "Do you not need a wand to transfigure yourself?"

"Do you need one when you become your cat self?" I asked.

Her eyes widened. "Well...well, no actually, I don't. It is wandless magic."

"So is mage lore," I explained. "A wand is merely an instrument to focus your powers through. A mage does this through energies within themselves, and from the environment around them. Now, watch."

I closed my eyes, and focused my powers on releasing my true self, and my bones and muscles immediately hurt as they stretched to accommodate my height, weight, and my body forming to its true self. When I was done, Professor McGonagoll looked at me with amazement as she circled me.

"What is your name?"  
"Princess Ashara Tepes," I said. "Well, my brother and I were deposed three hundred years ago when I fought alongside him to overthrow our mother Queen Lilith."

"Women in your society...fight? That's very...proactive," Minerva commented. "Well, let's go back to the hospital wing. I'm glad that that robe fits you, dear. But all of that black?"

I shrugged my shoulders. We shared a laugh, even though my fangs scared her somewhat.

Severus had not moved, and Dumbledore bowed, "Your Grace."

"Ashara, please, Albus," I said. "But no Asha, only Angel and Severus can call me that."

"Can you heal him?"  
"Yes," I said, "But if it happens again, I may have to turn him. That way, if this bastard keeps breaking his bones and beating the shit out of him, he will heal."

"Language, young lady!"  
"I am old enough to be your great grandmother three generations over," I pointed out. "Sorry, I just feel protective of him. You might not want to watch me do this."

"I...I will watch."  
"Suit yourself."

I bit Severus's right wrist, and drank a shot glass full of his blood. Then I bit my own wrist, and said mentally, " _Severus, my love. Wake and drink from me."_

His black eyes fluttered open, and he grabbed on to my wrist and drank the blood hungrily. I took my wrist away, and he nodded in gratitude. He screamed as his bones and muscles straightened themselves out. He thrashed about on the small bed. I stroked his forehead soothingly, and eventually, he calmed down.

"Asha, stay, please," Severus said softly. I sat on the edge of his bed, and kissed his fingers.

"Professors, we will be fine," I said. When they were gone, I added, "They seem to care about your well being."

Severus shook his head, "Maybe Minerva does. But I am a useful spy to Albus. I keep Potter alive for Lily's sake, but I find more and more it's for Albus's sake that I continue to do it. Thank you, for healing me. What's wrong?"

I wouldn't meet his eyes, until he lifted my face to meet his eyes. "What is it, darling?"

I wiped at my tears. "Your injuries were extensive, almost to the point where I needed to turn you. I felt your pain as if it were my own, and...I'm just scared that if this happens again, I may need to claim you to protect you."

He took my hand in his and said, "Listen, if it comes to that, I want you to."

"You could die, Severus."  
"I would rather die than be separated from you," He said, tearing up. "My heart is yours."

"As mine is yours."  
"I know."  
"Rest, I will return."   
He kissed my hand, and he mouthed, 'I love you.'

I left and changed back into Hermione again. I put the cotton pajamas on, and robe over it. I gave the password to the Fat Lady, and slipped into bed. I hated this double life, I decided. Severus needed me, and I was tired of being kept out of the loop. When I went hunting again, I made a mental note to ask Angel to take a more proactive approach to this deatheater problem.

I only hoped that he would be receptive to it, but then again, I knew that he wouldn't be happy about spending more resources here than in Romania where our base of power remained. Still, I had to try for everyone's sake including Severus, who I knew that I had to make mine sooner rather than later...or kill him to protect myself...


	18. Chapter 18

Snape's Pov...

I was discharged from the hospital within a week, and Madame Pomfrey called it a small miracle. I knew better. Once again, my immortal girlfriend saved my life, but warned that I was almost too far gone for her to save me. I felt a sliver of terror go down my spine at the thought I might die. Before Ashara came into my life, my life counted for very little. I did not care that I was expendable, because I had nothing left to live for.

But one vampire Princess changed that. In fact, it would be safe to say that she changed everything in my life. I love her, I really, truly love her.

I went to my quarters and got ready for the start of term feast. I knew from the last meeting that Remus Lupin would be teaching Defense Against The Dark Arts. Didn't the old fool know that the Dark Lord put a damn curse on the position so it would only be taught by me? Oh, who was I kidding? Of course, he did.

I wore my teaching robes, and spotted Hermione in the crowd of Gryffindors. She was playing her role as a nerdy teen witch to perfection. I wondered if Ashara ever acted on the stage? She would be fantastic at it. Albus gave his usual spiel about the warnings to not break the rules. When Lupin stood up, I couldn't help but glare at him. Wasn't it bad enough that Sirius Black was out of Azkaban and running around free?

At this point, I didn't give a damn whether or not he was innocent. He represented a part of my past that I wanted to kill. Then the announcement came that dementors would be stationed at the borders of the school. I saw Hermione glare daggers at the teacher's table.

" _Fucking Ministry!"_ She said to me mentally. " _Forgive me, Severus. I have to go talk to my brother."_

" _Let me come with you_ ," I replied. " _Please, Asha."_

_"I can take care of myself!"_   
_"No, I'm coming with."_   
_"Fine!"_   
_"Fine!"_

"Albus, a word?" I asked, sternly. Dumbledore looked at my face and saw Hermione gone with Potter and Weasley wondering what was wrong with her.

He excused himself from the table, and went somewhere private to talk. "What the devil is wrong with you, Severus?"

"You tell me! You're the one who is bringing shadow demons on to the grounds," I retorted. "My girlfriend is trying to smooth things over with her clan."

"I assure you, Severus," Dumbledore said plainly, "That this was all the Minstry of Magic's doing. I cannot let you leave."

"Fuck your rules," I snarled. "You need a wizard there who this stubborn asshole will listen to. Was Lord Angel not reluctant to form a treaty with you?"

"He was. But my hands are tied the same as yours," He said. "Please don't go with the Princess. She can handle herself."

"Maybe, but I won't lose another witch simply because I wasn't there," I explained. "Go ahead and discharge me, or whatever you have to do. But I am going to smooth this fuck up of the Ministry's before things get out of hand."   
Dumbledore sighed, and nodded. "Go then, on a holiday. And Severus do me a favor?"

"What?"  
"Tell Princess Ashara I am sorry," Albus said, and went back to the feast. I found Hermione packing things into her enchanted beaded bag in her quarters.

"Dumbledore sends his apologies," I said. She was in an agitated state, so I let her be for now.

She paused in her packing, "I'm sure he does! I'm not angry with him. It's the godsdamned Ministry of Magic. This is _not_ the first time the wizengamot has broken their word to my people. They knew my clan had an alliance with them! They fucking _knew_ it! And because of a supposed escaped killer, they bring shadow demons into an area my brother's mages are protecting from exactly this sort of evil sorcery."

"There is the matter of Remus Lupin as well," I pointed out. "He is a werewolf and needs wolfsbane potion daily."

Hermione paced about the floors. "Of course, more good news. Yes, I will have to have a healer mage teach your classes. But it will be an unusual way for the students to learn potion making."

"Will he or she be like you?"  
"No, an elf."  
"Good. Well, let me pack."  
"It will be dangerous for you."  
"I'm coming and that is final."   
She helped me pack, and we met up with the mages close to the borders of the Forbidden Forest. They bowed and curtsied. Hermione spoke fluid elvish to one of them in a dark green cloak.

The mage curtsied, and said in English, "I would be honored to teach wand users the true ways to harness plants into alchemical tonics. Your students will be quite challenged, my Lord."

She lifted down her hood, and she was a stunningly beautiful high elven lady with platinum blonde hair and sky blue eyes.

"Um, I'm not really a Lord," I corrected her politely.

The elf mage laughed, her laugh lyrical almost to the ear, "Part of my gift is that of foresight. I am only reporting what I see in your future, my Lord Snape."

Ashara cleared her throat, "Thank you, Lady Lorelei. I do believe that will be all."

"Yes, my lady," Lorelei curtsied. "But I should like such introductions to be made properly...wand users are not always kind to high elves."

Ashara scowled, but nodded her head grimly. We went back to the castle, and Ashara introduced the elf maid properly. Then I saw Minerva corner Ashara. They exchanged some words, and Minerva gave her a small black box, which she put into her beaded bag.

I said my goodbyes to Dumbledore and then McGonagoll cornered me and said sternly, "You take care of her, young man. Do you hear me?"

"Of course, Minerva," I promise. "You know that."

She rolled her eyes, and said, "No, I mean _take_ _care_ of her. What do the students call it? Putting a ring on it?"

I felt like I had swallowed a brick, and I blushed. "I...Yes, in time, I will."

She scowled, "Oh, for heaven's sake, boy. Do you love the lady?"

"Yes. I would not be going otherwise," I said, sincerely.

She glanced at Albus, almost longingly, and sighed sadly, "Severus, and I say this with great sadness and regret on my part. If you love her, truly love her, then please marry her. I have to walk these halls every day and work alongside a wizard I truly love, but cannot have.

"Albus, he...well, let's just say that ever since he lost his sister Ariana, he lost all interest in any kind of romantic attachments. Oh, I'm not saying they were close like _that_ , just that his grief prevents closeness. So, please, do it and be happy. I gave her a timeturner so take as much time as you two need."

I was deeply touched by her words, and shocked. I suspected that Minerva McGonagoll liked Dumbledore, but I had no idea that she actually loved the wizard. I hugged her, and she kissed me on the cheek, tearing up. I smiled. It was like saying goodbye to an older mother who loved her son.

Hermione said a brief goodbye to her friends, and Harry Potter cried the most as he hugged her. "...I know, I know. Take care of Crookshanks, will you? Make sure he doesn't kill Scabbers."

Potter laughed, "I won't."  
"Thanks, Harry."

Weasley acted more like a baby and clinged to her waist like a man drowning. Ashara said her goodbyes then to Luna Lovegood. She hugged her and they both nodded their heads at some understanding between them.

When the well wishing was finally done, Hermione changed into her true form, and put on a pair of dark jeans, boots, and layered up against the cold. We found a secluded spot, and Ashara grabbed me tight, and she took flight. When we landed, a dark, brooding castle lay just beyond a steep moat, and we were hemmed in by mountains.

The castle was heavily fortified, but possessed its own degree of beauty to me, because of its age and intimidating presence. The Dracula crest flew on flags above the towers, and the drawbridge lowered, and the portcullis opened to reveal a company of twenty riders, heavily armored as knights.

One of them dismounted, and removed his helmet. "Sister, Severus," Lord Angel said, his blue green eyes narrowed and scowling. "To what do we owe the...honor, of your visit?"

Ashara lapsed into Romanian, and Angel's face became even more stormy. "And I take it that you are here as a friendly reminder that not all wizards in your society hates us?" Angel asked, a little more genially this time.

"Yes," I said. "I wanted to reassure you that--"

"I know why you are here," Angel cut me off, "And while I do not exactly approve of my sister entangling herself emotionally with another wizard, I can sense that she is too involved for me to reason with her on that score. Therefore, as Prince of this clan, you will seal this peace accord with your marriage."

"Angel!" Ashara exclaimed, shocked.

"It is either that, or death, sister. I will accept no refusal from either of you," Angel said, in a voice that would brook no trespass.

"I accept," Ashara said.  
"I accept," I said, my mouth suddenly dry from skirting a potential fight on our hands.

Angel then smiled, and approached me. He hugged me and clapped me on the back. "Welcome to the family...brother," He said. He then shouted rapid orders to his men, and a horse was brought for us. Ashara mounted the black stallion, and pulled me up. She gave her slight command, and nudged the horse. He moved easily. As we rode into the castle, I began to feel very strongly that my life was about to change forever in many and unexpected ways from here on out...


	19. Chapter 19

Hermione's Pov...

Home. When was the last time she had seen it? The answer was too long. Angel had modernized the decor a great deal, but the weapons, suits of armor, and family portraits still hanged in pride of place throughout the castle.

Severus looked around at all of the decorations with wonder, especially the portrait of my father, which was above the mantle of the main foyer fireplace.

My father held a hand and a half sword, coated to the hilt in the blood of his enemies, and wore his intimidating dragon steel plated armor. He stood with his sword before him with an imperious look on his face that dared the onlooker to look away from his gaze.

"He looks almost nothing like his famous portraits," Severus observed. "But the dark brown eyes they got right."

Angel grinned, "Yeah. Asha and I don't share his eye color, but I'm sure you can see more of the family resemblances in me."

"I do," Severus said quietly. "But can we not talk of business?"

Angel nodded, "Of course. Come along, lovebirds. Let's get these papers signed and you can sell your reasons for why I shouldn't go after your Ministry for going back on their word yet again with yet another vampire clan."

Angel led us up the grand staircase of the castle, up three flights of stairs, and into what used to be our father's office where he ran the business of our clan. The office still had its Tudor styled linen paneled fold walls in cherry oak wood, and elaborate tapestries depicting famous battles of my father when he was mortal adorned the walls that wasn't populated with a built in bookshelf. 

The small differences were the evidence of a modern computer, and other modern technology to run an office.

Angel sat behind his office, and powered up his computer. He began typing rapidly, and printed out the documents. He laid them on the desk, and he slammed his hand on them when Severus reached for them.

"Now, then," He said, not unkindly, eying us both intensely, "Here's the deal: You two tie the knot. Asha turns you, claims you if she wants, but I want you to understand that my people regard marriage as sacred, Severus. Divorce is forbidden, because we have seen how mortals have destroyed the fabric of their society with the practice. It is why vampires rarely wed. But if you both do this, I will know that you can be trusted as one of us."

"Surely, you wouldn't go to war with the wizarding world over this, brother," Ashara said, shocked. "Albus Dumbledore told us that the dementors weren't his idea."

"Your sister is right," Severus put in, clearing his throat. "Albus was...let's just say that he threw a major fit when he received his orders. I couldn't speak out against it, he was my boss, and the Ministry is our government."

Angel made his hands into a steeple as he digested Severus's words carefully. "I understand his dilemma well. I can rule my clan as I see fit, but yet we are under ancient laws that govern all immortals and werewolves. I would say that the only ones truly exempt from this are veelas, but the high elven court is guided by a council of Elders as well. My mother had many pureblood vampires and werewolves in her time, but she still rules us all with her tyranny."

"Angel, he doesn't need to hear the reasons for our defection from court," I gently put in. "It would take at least a century to explain the fine intricacies of our government to him. Are you going to keep mages posted at Hogwarts, or not?"

Angel sighed, studying me carefully. "You really care for these children do you not?"

"Some of them are my friends, yes," I admitted. "And I admire the teachers there. Just as we admired some of our arch mages in Rivlemare at the citadel."

Angel nodded, and smiled warmly, "Very well, Ashara. I will keep to our original treaty. But I will not relent on you being wed. It has been way too long for you to remain single."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever, womanizer. I expected such schemes from father, but not _you_. Why don't _you_ get married?"

Angel laughed. "And who shall wife number three be, sister? No, it's time. And you act as if this would be disagreeable to you."

"No, it's your heavyhanded attempt to throw another conflict on the wizarding world that pisses me off, Angel," I explained. "They have this Voldemort wizard to deal with. They don't need the might of clan Dracula breathing down their necks as well."

Angel flashed me a cold look that froze my blood. I overstepped my boundaries with my brother, and he knew it. "Do it, or you know the consequences of enemies who see our stronghold."

"Hand the papers over," I said in defeat. Angel handed us two quills and we signed where our signatures were required. Angel notarized them, and signed his own name.

He rose from his desk and shook Severus's hand, "Welcome, Lord Snape. Rest, relax. For in two months time, you two will be wed in the castle chapel."

I hated to curtsy to my own brother, but when it was done, I slammed the office door behind me and began to cry bitter tears.

Severus wordlessly held me in his arms, as I weakly beat on his chest. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked.

"Yes, but my room," I replied. "Come, I need to get away from here for a bit."

I showed him into my midnight blue and silver bedroom. Severus laughed, "How very...Ravenclaw of you."

I shrugged, "When I went to Ilivermorny I was in Horned Serpent, so it's very similar to Ravenclaw in how it is run."

Severus nodded, and sat on the edge of the bed with me. "Why did you argue against us being together? Is it not something you still want?"

I sighed, and kissed his hands. "I do. But I wanted this to be on _our_ terms, not the clan's terms. I wanted it to be us planning the details, to take our time with it. To be as free in our marriage planning as we have been so far. Now, it feels like I signed our freedom away by agreeing to it. I'm sorry if it seemed like I was rejecting you."

Severus kissed me softly. "It's alright, dearest. I was just a little hurt. I understand."

"I'm glad."  
A knock came at my bedroom door, and I wiped at my eyes. I answered it, and of course, they were mages to keep me chaste before marriage. What a laugh!

"Well, that means you have to go to your room," I said regretfully. "But we will be truly alone when we are married."

Severus took me in his arms and kissed me deeply. "Then that is a night I will truly treasure all the more. I love you, Princess."

"I love you, my Prince."  
We parted then, and I got ready for bed. I sent my mages away to guard the door. When I settled into bed, I took out the timeturner Professor McGonagoll gave me. I promised myself that I would use it to go back to Hogwarts, if only to change the outcome of this wizarding war for the better. Me, and my handsome wizard by my side. But first, I would have to endure two months of wedding preparations to wait for the night I can claim my true mate at long last...


	20. Chapter 20

Two Months Later...

Hermione's Pov...

I felt the last of the laces at the bodice of my wedding gown being pulled into place in the back. My dress was elaborate, with extensive beading and lace along the sleeves, bodice, stomacher, with a long cathedral train trailing out. My veil covered my elaborate up do hairstyle that had little tresses hanging down around my face to frame it.

I looked beautiful, of course, but leave it to Angel to turn something that should have been a private expression of love between me and my mate, and turn it into a political event. I hated my brother for doing this to me, I really did. But I also knew deep down that I wanted to do this; I wanted to get married.

"Are you ready, my lady?" One of my ladies asked.

I took a deep breath, and nodded. "Yes, I am. Come, ladies, the public awaits."

We made our way down to the chapel that was built in a very noticeable gothic design. I normally loved the church for its serene ambiance. But this night, it seemed as if many clans were in attendance at my wedding.

The guests bowed and curtsied to me as I held my red rose bouquet in front of me like a shield. As I got nearer to the altar, I saw Severus standing to the left of my brother.

Severus and Angel wore black velvet frock coats, and looked most dashing, but I only had eyes for my mate. Angel took our hands and placed it in the other, and I looked up at my soon to be husband for the first time. The priest gave no sermon, unlike in a mortal ceremony.

"Turn to each other and say the words," The priest instructed, and then began speaking words of power, which I helped translate mentally for Severus. We repeated them, and a red halo surrounded our intertwined hands.

"I bless thee, Princess Ashara Tepes," The priest intoned, "and Prince Severus Snape to be bound in Holy Matrimony for all eternity. May love and fruitfulness shine in thy union, and signify the union of wizarding world and vampirekind in lasting peace."

" _You have to give your vows now, dearest,_ " I said to Severus mentally. He nodded.

"Ashara, when I first saw you as you are now, I thought I saw a goddess in my midst," Severus said, tearing up, "I had never seen a more beautiful woman in my life. But beyond your beauty, your heart, your spirit, enchanted me more than any spell ever could. How could I help but fall in love with you? I vow to love only you for as long as I live, and to honor, love, and comfort you until death."

I teared up, and asked mentally, " _Did you have that written down somewhere or did you make it up on the sly?"_

Severus chuckled. " _I only said what was in my heart."_

 _"I know. I love you too. I'm just kidding,"_ I said mentally. I took a deep breath. "Severus, I never thought I could love again. I had a great love, and many, many minor ones, but they say in mage lore that you just _know_ deep down in your soul when you find your mate. I didn't believe the sensanas when they spouted such flowery nonsense, since they focus on the seductive aspects of magical energies in love.

"I came to Hogwarts in disguise, and yet when I saw you, I felt it like a sirens call deep in my soul. I never thought we would come to this, and I hid my growing feelings for you behind my childlike mask. You stole my heart without knowing, but I gladly give it to you. I vow to love only you, my beloved, and to honor and fight for us until death us do part."

"Do you have the rings, Your Grace?" The priest asked Angel.

"Yes, I do."  
Angel handed me a gorgeous diamond bridal set and whispered in my ear, "This was Lady Mina's, sister. Father wanted you to have them whenever you decided to wed."

"Thank you, Angel."  
"This is my father's wedding band, Severus," Angel said to my fiance. "Wear it well and in good health."

"Thank you, my Lord," Severus said.

Our rings were exchanged, and again, the halo of energies wrapped around our hands as the binding of our union took place.

"You may now kiss your bride, Your Grace," The priest instructed. Severus held my gaze for a moment before he cupped my face in his hands and captured my lips with his mouth. We poured all of our pent up love into the kiss. All too soon, he pulled away.

"May I present Prince and Princess Snape," The priest announced. The nobles applauded loudly as we walked hand in hand down the long aisle. The receiving line was long, and tiresome, but Severus and I greeted everyone who attended.

The reception was elegant, and servants came around with IV's in their arms to service the need to feed for the vampires. The elves and mortals that were present received a full, but modest feast to compensate for the lack of a cake and dessert. When the food was carried away, the spotlight was on me and Severus as we danced our first dance as a married couple.

"This is a rather peculiar reception," Severus commented as he twirled me.

I spun back into his arms, and laughed, "Yes, it would be for a mortal, I'm sure. But feasts like this are the norm during gatherings such as this. I'm honestly surprised by the turnout."

He raised an eyebrow, "Go on."

"Well, it's just that it is greatly frowned upon...by the ancient discretion laws, to never wed mortals," I explained. He frowned, and I shook my head. "But I don't care about the laws. I love you like this, and I will love you when you are like me. It will make no difference to me."

Severus breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you. Some of the people here are sneering at us."

I looked around at the Nosiferans, Vehemens, and other rival clans, and sighed, "Don't take it personally, my love. All of us have been at war with each other at one point in time or another. My people are...violent in nature. We love just as deeply as we hate and harbor grudges."

We waltzed some more to the song, until it ended. Angel cut in at the next song, and the knowing smirk on his face made me want to smack him across the face.

"Enjoying married life?"  
"Leave Severus out of your schemes," I warned. "I will not have you stir up trouble with the Nosiferans, because they hate that I'm bound to a wizard now."

Angel twirled me, and I tried to relax into his grip. "Very well, I won't. You two are my eyes and ears in the wizarding world after all. You will follow the discretion laws once your husband is turned, and be prepared to go to war with the werewolves if it comes to it."

"Very well," I agreed. "But he has had no mage training."

Angel bowed out of the dance, and winked, "Well, then I leave that in your most capable hands, dear sister."

I wrenched my hand out of his grip and scowled, "I'm not your 'dear anything', Angel. I have a husband now to call me that."

He shrugged his shoulders, "Yes, and I suspect if he survives the turning that you two will fill your own estate with heirs."

"Yes, we shall see. Good evening, my Lord," I said, dipping into a low curtsy.

I found Severus sipping a glass of champagne at the high table, and he grinned when I sat beside him.

"You two looked tense."  
"Sibling troubles."

  
"Ah. Can we leave at any time, or.." He trailed off, draining his champagne.

I smiled, and summoned my ladies. "Yes, we can leave. I need help out of this gown. But I will meet you in my room soon."

We shared a brief, searing kiss, and so I went off with my ladies, and Severus went off with his servants to undress for the most heartwrenching part of the evening: the claiming ceremony. I prayed that I would be able to do it and he would live. I could not afford to lose another wizard, I just couldn't. It would be the death of me, I just know it...


	21. Chapter 21

Snape's Pov...

I saw Ashara come in my room dressed in a sheer white robe over a long white nightgown. Her long black hair was down, and she looked like a dark angel in the fire light casting shadows along the walls of the ornate, posh bedroom that could have easily fit my old quarters at Hogwarts.

No words were needed as we came together, our hands and lips speaking louder than any words we could say to express our love for one another. I slowly slid the straps of her night gown down her arms and it fell in a pool at her feet. She undressed me as well, and we laid on the bed as we explored one another.

When we came together, we made love slowly, savoring every kiss and touch, until Ashara took control and I felt the sharp prick of her fangs at my throat. I gasped at the sensation. It both hurt and felt pleasurable at the same time. She had never used her fangs on me before, and it felt unusual as she drew on my blood, feeding deeply.

I could feel my heart struggling to beat. Ashara bit her wrist, and I drank eagerly. We continued to exchange blood as we made love, and when we separated, I could feel myself dying.

Ashara exchanged blood with me one more time, and she kissed me one last time. It felt like a farewell. Then I felt my heart slow and darkness took my vision...and then a light...

_I was walking along the black lake of Hogwarts, and Lily Evans was there. She was the young seventeen year old girl she was when I called her a mudblood in the heat of the moment._

_"Hello, Severus," She said sadly, "I had to see you one last time before I moved on to beyond."_

_I scowled, "What do you want, Lily?"_

_She sighed, and walked towards me. "I am here to give you a choice."_

_I lifted an eyebrow, "Choice?"_   
_She nodded, "Yes. You can go with me beyond. Or, you can live with the vampire Princess who has ensnared your heart. But beyond that, I wanted to say that I was sorry for not forgiving you for your foolish words."_

_"Well, I would have never have said them if you didn't side with your stupid jock boyfriend and his friends," I shouted at her. "Tell me, Lily, were you fucking all of them, or was it just Potter?! Leave me alone, Lily. I have a wife now, and she loves me genuinely."_

_Tears began to fill her emerald green eyes. "But...but she is turning your body into a monster like her. You will look young forever, but...but you will need blood forever, Severus. Is it really worth living such a half life for the sake of a monster's love?"_

_I stepped back from her, and said sternly, "Her love is worth dying a thousand deaths."_

_"Very well, Severus," Lily said, "You have made your choice as I have made mine. Farewell, Severus Snape. Wake."_

_I could feel my heart began to beat again, and for a different purpose than before. And that was when my eyes opened to..._

....A candlelit room. The black canopy greeted my eyes at first, and my vision was sharper than it ever was, but magical energies flowed in and around me from everywhere. Ashara, Ashara was near. I sat up, and saw that I was bundled in my plush bed in Castle Dracula.

A female servant in a black and white uniform was dusting when she shrieked in fear. "Oh! Forgive me, Your Grace," The older woman said, fearfully. "I didn't see you there."

"Where is my wife?"  
"At a council meeting, Sire," She said. "Shall I send in a kill slave? Her Grace said you would be famished if you were to wake from the turning."

 _If_..The word hang heavily in the air. I had read in my research on vampires that not every newly turned vampire survives the process. I looked down at myself. My muscles were corded and cut. I had been in shape before my wedding night, but somehow, the blood refined what muscle definition I had already and made them more apparent and visible.

"Bring the slave," I ordered. "And inform my wife that I am awake."

"Yes, Sire," The older, matronly looking woman said, bobbing a quick curtsy.

A few minutes passed before a plain faced young blonde girl was ushered into my bedroom, and she wore a dirty peasant's dress, and she looked sickly. I felt the thirst grow in me, and I took the girl in my arms, and pierced her throat. She whimpered against the sensation.

I drank and drank, revelling in the taste of her blood filling me with her life giving elixir. When I sensed her heart about to give out, I stopped feeding. The girl was dead, and she had run away from an abusive home in the village, only to be kidnapped by the clan. I gathered this information and discarded it, since her mind had not intrigued me in any way.

I walked into the bathroom and undressed out of the gray pajamas I was in. I looked barely twenty two, and always would, forever. Eternal youth for the price of blood as my sustenance forever. I filled the cavernous Jacuzzi bathtub with water and turned on the jets. I sensed Ashara come in before I heard her high heels click on the tiles.

"I see you've already fed," She said, looking down at me. I looked up, and her porcelain skin looked more natural to me, but she was also so very beautiful to me.

"Yes, I have."  
"Mind if I join you?"  
"Please."

She undressed out of her black pin striped suit, and when she was naked, I felt my cock stir for her. I grinned knowingly, "I think someone wants a little attention from you."

Ashara got in the tub and dipped her hair in the water, and she sat beside me. "Oh, does he now?" She teased, walking her fingers down my chest to my cock. "And is that really what you want to do your first night as a vampire? Fuck your wife's brains out?"

I chuckled, kissing her. "That, and hunt with her. If she doesn't object."

She continued to stroke me, "No, she doesn't object. In fact, as I reminded the clan council earlier, we are on our honeymoon. We have much to explore of the world, and I want to see it all with my husband."

I kissed her. "And so we shall, but right now, I have need of you here and now."

I pulled her on to my lap. She straddled me and I bucked my hips, entering her without preamble. Ashara gasped as I filled her tight warmth. We moved as one as she rode me faster and faster, up and down. I kissed her roughly and rained kisses along her throat, and drank from her breasts as I bit her, suckling her thoroughly.

She then drank from me as well, both delighting in the deep intimacy of shared blood between us. Our powers flowed between us as our lovemaking turned frenzied and full of rough passion.

She screamed as she came undone in my arms, and as I filled her with my seed, I thrust deep inside of her, kissing her thoroughly. We finished up our bath, and changed into our clothes for the day.

We were going to travel the world, and we had to be ready for anything, anything at all that might come our way. So it was that we packed, and we traveled the world, learned about each other, and fell deeper and deeper in love with each other each passing year...


	22. Chapter 22

Snape's Pov...

Two Hundred Years Later...

It has been a lifetime, several in fact, since I was a lowly potions master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I was nothing until a dark goddess found me and made me hers.

I rarely use my wand for magic now, and harness my powers from the Earth, through blood. I carry a sword on my person, two poisoned daggers at my belt, and fight paranormal evil alongside my brother in law, Angel. We became close friends over the years, especially, when Ashara and I bore four sons that grew up quickly.

But one night, she came to me, and said, "Severus, it's time to go back to Hogwarts."

I hugged her, and said, "Hogwarts is nothing but dust and ashes, dearest. The Dark Lord won, and we have been fighting his demons and followers ever since."

She sighed, and opened the small black box she had been holding earlier. "Open it," She said.

I did, and inside the box was a time turner. They were almost nonexistent these days. My mouth felt instantly dry as I digested the implications of what my wife was suggesting.

"Are you sure that you want us to go back to our roles?" I asked. "I have grown quite used to doing many of the erotic things in our bedchambers."

She giggled. "Oh, please, Severus. We could have our flirty detentions in secret. Plus, you're much more of a mage than a wizard now."

I sighed, shaking my head, "And what of our vampirism, Asha? Hiding that from the Ministry won't be easy. They tend to send hunters after vampires when they see vampire activity in the area."

She kissed me. "But we have to try to save the wizarding world, Severus. You know how corrupt the world has become with the Dark Lord in power."

"And my past self?"  
She shrugged. "We convince him to help us?"

"I'm a stubborn mule sometimes," I reasoned. "You know that."

"Except when it comes to giving me...long detentions."

"Are you trying to make Gryffindor lose points?" I teased while keeping my face stern. "Because I will not hesitate to use discipline whenever necessary."

A wicked gleam came into my wife's eyes, and she shifted into her Hermione Granger form. "Want to spank me now, Professor?" She taunted.

I slapped her ass, and kissed her hungrily, "Could you change back? You look underage."

She snapped her fingers, and her body shimmered and became my tall, raven haired goddess again. "Better?"

"Yes, much."  
She put on the timeturner, and extended the chain to wrap around me. I lifted an eyebrow and looked at my clothes. She held up her beaded bag, and I nodded, understanding.

There was a big part of me that wanted to remain in our current life. Sure, it had its dangers, but I was a highly respected Lord. A vampire Prince through my marriage, in fact. I had made many allies, and I had a life, a true, fulfilling life with a wife I was genuinely and passionately in love with. No other woman was of interest to me, and I preferred it that way. We had two sons and daughters that were fully grown. Yet still I was loathe to leave them.

"Severus, we have to do this," Ashara said. "With the Dark Lord dead, we can have a possible lasting peace in our worlds."

I sighed, resigning myself to my fate. "Very well, my love," I decided. "Let us go be heroes."

"Thank you, Severus."

  
I nodded, and she flipped the gold rings to the year Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban prison, and was presumed guilty for 'killing,' Peter Pettigrew, one of James Potter's idiot friends. As the rings spun, I grabbed my wife's face and crashed my mouth on to hers. She kissed me back, and as the time turner took us back in time, I realized that I could survive anything so long as I had my goddess by my side in times of war and peace forevermore...

The End


End file.
